The Next Mrs Cullen
by AliciaW68
Summary: Summary: Antique or Ikea, Beautiful inside or out, maim or kill, he had decisions to make today that would change his life.
1. Chapter 1

**The Next Mrs Cullen**

 **Summary: Antique or Ikea, Beautiful inside or out, maim or kill, he had decisions to make today that would change his life.**

All things Twilight belong solely to S Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

This was my entry into the Mobward competition. Thank you to all the people who reviewed you were all very kind. I haven't decided if I'm going to continue it or not yet, Mobward is not something I've ever thought of writing before.

A huge huge huge thank you to Ladyletters who Beta'd for me, you made my first attempt a joy to read, thank you xx

EPOV

"Do I have to fucking do everything myself?" The mobile phone that had been the carrier of the bad news flew across the room. Emmett dodged it just before it knocked the antique vase off the display stand.

"Boss," said Emmett, glancing warily at the door. "That is one of Tanya's favourite vases, she's going to kill you."

"I don't give a shit about that," I spat. "I'm supposedly the head of the most feared crime family in the country and my men can't even carry out a simple instruction." I kicked the remnants of fine china, spreading them across the dark wood floor. "Why the fuck is James Hunter still walking about? Answer me that." I started pacing impatiently, covering the length of the severe dining room. The décor was supposedly Louis the something style, personally I thought it was gaudy, fucking awful, but it kept the wife quiet and busy. Something stopped me. "And how the fuck would you even know that's her favourite vase?"

"I don't, not really," replied Emmett. He looked uncomfortable, a sure sign I'd hit on something he didn't want me to know. "It's just an expensive antique vase," he continued, "you know how she is, she likes expensive things." He eyed the scattered shards.

"How expensive?" I queried. I was beginning to wonder if we were in some sort of alternative universe.

"Well," he said carefully, "last time I saw one of those it was valued at about 25 grand and that was a few years ago."

"What?" I yelled. I could feel my blood pressure rising. "Twenty-five grand? Are you a fucking antiques expert now? Last time I checked you were my right hand man, my consigliere and unfortunately," I gave him a withering look, "also my brother."

Emmett ignored my sarcasm, moving the conversation back to the safer topic of work. "James Hunter is really fucking sneaky boss. "He looked at me sheepishly. "I mean, he must be stupid to try and rip you off in the first place." He paused, checking that he still had my attention. I was listening, although my anger still pulsed in my veins. "But he's been very clever, never staying in one place too long and not planning anything too far in advance. By the time we get word where he is, he's already moving onto the next place." Emmett was trying to placate me and keep me calm. He knew me well enough to know that I was at the end of my tether and that usually meant death and destruction of some kind.

"Well I want to know where he is," I told him. "He must be running out of places to stay by now". I balled my hand into a fist so hard that the fingernails dug into the soft pads of my hands. "I have made it quite clear to everyone, have I not, that anyone who helps him will answer to me?"

Emmett nodded and gulped. Message understood I finally slumped onto the uncomfortable Italian leather couch that dominated the room.

"Why are you sitting on my antique fainting couch?" came a high pitched voice that set my teeth on edge. "You know it's only for show!" Her tone was that of someone who considered herself way above the people around her, condescending did not even begin to describe it. "And what the fuck happened to my vase?" Her voice rose a full octave.

"Good evening Tanya," I said smoothly. I would never let her know that she could get to me. "How are you?" I smiled, a cruel parody of a happiness long ago forgotten, twisted into something darker. "Have you had a hard day spending my money?" Her mouth dropped open but before she could respond I continued. "Or have you been on your back for your latest beau?"

She glared at me and I glared at her. I sank back further into her precious fainting couch. Tanya was beautiful, blonde hair and blue eyes, body of a Hollywood starlet, wardrobe to match. I stood up, suddenly restless again.

"It's my money as well," she spat as she used her thin bejewelled hands to smooth the upholstery of the couch. "I earn it by being the perfect wife for you in public." Honestly, I will never forgive my father for arranging our marriage without consulting me first. She was a lazy, money grabbing snob, the ugliest person I know inside. Worse still, she has been sleeping around, hardly the perfect wife image she likes to portray. If she had been discreet I could have turned a blind eye for the sake of keeping up appearances, but she had been careless. Word soon got back to me that she had brought someone here to the house. My house.

"It's a shame," I told her in a soft, bitter voice, "that you're not the fucking perfect wife at home as well." Manners be damned, I knew the comment would cause a row, but what did I care? She could leave any time she liked. Before she could answer I stormed out of the room, slamming the door of the dining room so violently that the walls shook.

I slept alone in my own room. Tanya and I had long since given up the pretence of being happily married. It was a joke, I was one of the most powerful men in the country and I was lonely. I wanted someone to share my life with and to cuddle up to in bed when I finally made it home at night, instead of hiding in the den when I was awake and sleeping in my own room at night.

As dawn broke I made several decisions. First and most important, Tanya had to go. I was established now, sure I would be the first divorced family head, but they would have to kill me to remove me and I know a thing or two about staying out of trouble. Of course, neither Tanya nor her family would like it as it would bring great disrespect to them, but the threat of exposing her affairs should hopefully keep them co-operative, especially as it would void the pre-nup. My lawyer, Whitlock, had been very insistent on that clause. I silently thanked him as I watched the light soften to the grey light of dawn.

My usual morning wood brought another more pressing thought to mind, I needed to get laid. It had been a very long time since I'd been near Tanya or any woman for the matter. Don't get me wrong, it's not due to lack of opportunity, I just can't keep the moral high ground if I'm fucking every piece of ass that throws themselves at me.

"Fuck this Emmett." I got into the back seat of the Range Rover slamming the door behind me. "I've had enough of this shit." It was six thirty in the morning and I'd only got back from one of my clubs three hours ago. Of course, Tanya couldn't leave me be until I'd had a few hours sleep, no, she had to start moaning and whining as soon as she realised I was home. I'm never easy to deal with, I know that, but after no sleep and no caffeine Tanya should have really known better. The row had been volcanic and two figurines and a sculpture hadn't survived, all of them narrowly missing my head.

"It's time to go and see Whitlock," I pulled my Ray Ban sunglasses from my pocket and slid them on to cover my bloodshot eyes. "I don't give a shit what my dad thinks, I'm the head of this family now and it's time I started to take control of my own life."

"Yes Boss," replied Emmett, putting the Range Rover into gear and pulling silently away from the kerb. As ever my brother just agreed with me. I was surrounded by yes men. In fact, the only person around me who had the balls to really tell me what they thought was my soon to be ex-wife.

"What time will Whitlock be in his office?" I asked as Emmett pushed the car through the early morning rush hour.

"Usually about 8.00am. We're early," he dared a quick glance in my direction via the rear view mirror, "do you want to stop for breakfast or something?"

"Fuck Emmett, you'll be asking me out to brunch next," I snapped.

"Just thought you might be hungry Boss," he sagged a little at my brusqueness, "you haven't eaten anything since yesterday lunch time, have you?" It was a sad state of affairs that Emmett took better care of me than my wife. The rumbling in my stomach confirmed he was right.

"Ok," I conceded, "find a diner or something close by to Whitlock's office, we can eat while we wait for him."

I put a call into my attorney to tell him I would be waiting for him at his office and Emmett pulled into the parking lot of a small diner. While we were waiting for our order Emmett's phone rang

"Yep…yep…yep...yep...when…is he still there?" he asked whoever was on the other end.

"Okay…yep…yep…okay." He put his phone down and picked up the large bacon roll that was now in front of him.

"Well that was enlightening Emmett," I remarked. "I didn't realise you were such a master of the English language and the art of conversation." I couldn't help myself, I knew I was being an ass but I was tired and hungry.

"That was Quill," explained Emmett, referring to some low life scum that fed us information in return for operating under our family radar. "Apparently Hunter is going to look at an apartment this morning across town," I nodded for him to elaborate. "He has been staying with Jacob Black for the last few nights but he knows it's time to move on."

"Black?" I growled. "That fucking pond life." There was no love lost between the Cullen and Black families. "We'll deal with him later but for now find an address for this apartment and we can go and surprise him."

"Ok Boss," Emmett smiled a little in anticipation as he pushed the breakfast sandwich into his mouth. l like to keep my hands clean but Emmett... I shuddered a little. Dude is my brother but sometimes his flair for violence disturbs me a little.

A homely waitress put a plate of eggs down in front of me. "Thank you," I told her with a courteous smile. She smiled at me in return and blushed a little.

BELLA

Business was booming. I seemed to be on a roll at the moment, no matter what it was I was showing I was closing the deal. Today would hopefully be no different. I was meeting a Mr. Jones at 9.30am to show him the penthouse apartment on a new apartment block I'd secured exclusive rights to. This was a serious money deal and if I could get him to sign on the bottom line I could book the Caribbean cruise I'd been promising myself for the last two years.

I dressed carefully. It was almost like I was dressing a set, I needed to fit into the surroundings I was representing but at the same time I didn't want to be too visible. It was all about selling the space, not me.

I layered on my armour, my favourite set of underwear, some silk hose and my severe navy blue business suit. I loved the contrast of my silk lingerie and nude stockings and the wool suit. They were different ends of the fashion spectrum but together they made me feel sexy and successful. I stepped into my nude stilettoes and fastened my hair on the top of my head in a top knot. A little make up and some bright red lipstick, I really was a walking cliché, but it worked, especially when I was selling or leasing expensive real estate to rich men.

I walked around the empty penthouse apartment, it really needing dressing but the owners were so sure it would sell itself they wouldn't spend the extra cash to furnish it. It looked a little sparse, cream carpets as far as the eye could see, so expensive that I longed to kick my shoes off and bury my feet in their understated comfort. I pulled open the heavy cream drapes, maximising the light in the huge living space and taking in the view, the whole city spread in front of me. I have sold or let a lot of apartments, however this one was quite breath taking. For a moment I imagined myself living here. Some people, they see a place like this and can't imagine what it would look like with their furniture in. Well I can. I can see it now, not my furniture admittedly, my apartment is a shoebox compared to this place. No, in my mind I was filling it with fantasy furniture. A splash of colour here. A tasteful print there. An antique apothecary bottle filled with lavender bath salts there…

I had brought the usual hamper of supplies that I use when trying to close a deal this big. It contained champagne, crystal glasses, some fancy lace napkins, organic expensive salt and pepper crackers, several different foreign cheeses, fruit and Belgian chocolates. They very rarely got opened never mind eaten so I was able to reuse them for quite a while. I set out the goodies on the kitchen island and carefully arranged a huge vase of flowers to add a splash of colour to the chic white gloss design. I stood back, not too bad for a cheap and cheerful IKEA vase and some supermarket flowers. I took a deep breath, smoothing my skirt against my legs. I checked my hose for snags and touched up my lipstick. I was ready, I just needed Mr. Jones to show up and then I could get this show on the road.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock on the door. I jumped at the sound, I had expected the external buzzer to sound first. The doorman must have let him in. I sneaked a glance at my watch. He was late, that was not a good start. I hated tardiness and while it was all about the pitch I was about to make, he could at least be on time.

I opened the door with my trademark welcome smile and was taken aback to see two men rather than the one that I was expecting. One was huge, he could have been a wrestler with those muscles and boyish good looks. The other was incredibly handsome, he had the most incredible crystal clear green eyes set in a hard chiselled face with hair slicked back. His lips were full, perhaps a little cruel but definitely biteable. Everything about him screamed 'do not touch' but all I wanted to do was mess up his carefully slicked hair.

"Mr. Jones?" I enquired. I raised my eyebrows, waited for one of them to actually say something. They both looked at each other as if I'd spoken in a foreign language. I didn't remember Renee saying that they were foreign, or gay, but the look that passed between them certainly communicated that they were more than just business acquaintances.

"I'm expecting a Mr. Jones for a 9.30am viewing." They looked at me again, so I spoke more slowly enunciating each word. "Are either of you Mr. Jones?" Neither of them said anything but the man mountain shook his head. That was enough for me so I closed the door, I didn't have time to worry about what they wanted, I knew this block was far too exclusive to let someone just wander in off the street so they were probably already residents just coming up for a nosey around.

Another knock on the door, this time heavier and a little more urgent I took a deep breath, pushed my shoulders back and my chest out and pasted on my welcoming smile again. It was the couple from downstairs still standing there. The handsome dangerous looking one had taken place forefront now.

"Look, I'm really sorry," I said, trying to be nice but firm. "I'm waiting for a client so I haven't got time to show you around a t the moment. Why don't you give me your apartment number and I'll come and get you and your boyfriend once my client has finished?" I nodded and smiled, trying to communicate how much of a favour it was for me to even offer to show them around.

"What the ffff… "Angry words nearly fell out his mouth but he visibly reined himself in. "What are you talking about Miss…?" The man mountain started to laugh, a really infectious giggle, I fought hard to retain my dignity but green eyes looked really angry.

"Well, you didn't have to be buzzed in so I assume that you live in one of the apartments downstairs?" I tried to move the conversation back to safer territory.

"No, "he twisted his lips and for a moment I desperately hoped that my initial assumption was wrong. "I live across town?" He seemed more confused than I was about what was going on.

"Okay," I told him. "Can we rewind things a bit?" He nodded. "You are definitely not Mr. Jones?"

"No." He shook his head. "Besides, who the fuck is Mr. Jones, I thought you were meeting James Hunter?" He walked past me into the apartment as though I'd laid out a welcome mat. I turned to tell him to get out but the man mountain followed right behind.

"I am definitely meeting Mr. Jones," I said. "I've never heard of James Hunter."

"Fuck!" The green eyed man pulled a mobile phone from the pocket of his extremely well-tailored suit. He pressed a speed dial button and in a moment was shouting at some poor sod who had the misfortune to be on the other side of the phone.

"I'm sorry miss," said the man mountain, who was wearing an equally nice suit. "We were led to believe that you were meeting a Mr. Hunter here at 9.30am to show him this apartment, we need to speak with him so we thought that we would come and meet him too."

"Well we seem to both be out of luck, because neither your Mr. Hunter or my Mr. Jones has showed up yet." I looked at my watch again. It was 9.50am. Usually anyone running late was only 10 minutes behind schedule so I was probably dealing with a no show.

"Does he always talk to people like that?" I asked, looking at the green eyed man. He wandered around, phone in hand, gesturing with the other hand even though the person at the other end wouldn't be able to see him. His language was definitely adding some colour to the apartment.

"Yeah," he grimaced. "He doesn't have much patience for people who don't do as he asks first time."

"Isabella Swan." I held out my hand to the man mountain and he took and shook it. "Emmett Cullen," he replied. His hand was big and warm. He was the kind of guy that made you feel safe.

"So Emmett," I trilled, in my best sales voice, "are you interested in purchasing or leasing this beautiful apartment?" I laughed as his face dropped and he blushed.

"Don't worry," I put a reassuring hand on his arm. "I'm only teasing; I know you aren't here to buy."

"How can you tell I'm not interested?" He asked, seemingly genuinely interested in my business.

"I can spot a potential time waster a mile off, you'll be surprised how many bored housewives just come to look at property to get ideas for their own homes or just to get out of the house," as he laughed I relaxed, I liked this big guy, there was something very gentle about him.

"So are you and your partner going to wait long?" I asked. "I'm afraid I have another showing across town in a couple of hours and I need to work the phones to drum up some interest on this place." I had already started repacking my goodies hamper and retying the flowers back into their carrier, everything could be used at the next showing.

"Shit, he's not my partner, he's my brother!" Emmett was trying not to laugh. "Please tell me we don't look like a gay couple, because he's also my boss."

"Brothers?" I screwed up my face, contemplating the thought. They didn't look very alike. "I never would have believed that, and as for a gay couple I never presume or dismiss anything."

We were both startled by a string of very explicit language being screamed down the phone.

"I wonder how he gets anything done speaking to people like that?"

"We've been trying to catch up with Mr. Hunter for quite a while," explained Emmett, "but he always seems to be one step ahead of us." He looked at his brother who was now gesticulating wildly. "It's starting to get to him I'm afraid."

"You don't need to make excuses for him," Emmett didn't reply. I got the feeling that he was used to making excuses for his brother.

I was just going to get the flowers when my phone rang.

"Swan Home Finders, how may I help? Isabella Swan speaking." I didn't recognise the number so it could be a new client.

"Miss Swan? It's Mr. Jones, I'm sorry I haven't made my appointment this morning, I was wondering if you were still at the property, I'm very interested in a short term lease."

I looked up at Emmett and signalled to him, letting him know who was on the phone.

"Mr. Jones," I said clearly, "I can wait another 15 minutes but I have an appointment across town, are you likely to be much longer?" As soon as I said the name green eyes turned around from staring out of the window and strode purposely towards me. He was gesturing for me to keep the man on the other side talking and he dragged Emmett off to one side.

"I'm quite happy to wait for you then Mr. Jones, see you in 20 minutes." With that I hung up and turned to the brothers. "Mr. Jones says he was held up but he will be here in 20 minutes."

"Anything else?" snapped green eyes.

"Um, I heard him ask someone in the background called Jake how long it would take to get here."

"Jackpot," said green eyes then started barking orders to Emmett.

"Go and move the car just in case he recognises it. Call Paul and get him and Demetri down here. Tell them to stay hidden until I call them. Then get your ass back up here so we can be ready for him."

"Do you always talk to people like that?" The words slipped out before I even registered that it may have sounded rude.

"Like what?" the confusion on his face pretty much answered my question but as ever I couldn't help but push it.

"Like they are shit on the bottom of your shoes." His face scrunched up as though he had severe gas but it passed and I could tell he was trying to control himself.

"Are you always so outspoken Miss…?"

"It's okay," I snapped. "My name isn't important." I snorted. "At least if you don't know it you certainly can't order me to do anything." I turned away from him and started to unpack the hamper again.

"I wouldn't bother with unpacking all that," said green eyes, gently. "Mr. Jones is not going to be around to take the lease on this place."

"Oh," the penny finally dropped, "are you going to arrest him?"

"Something like that, yeah," he laughed and his whole face relaxed. He looked so much younger when he wasn't scowling. Younger and much more attractive. The laughter dried up and he started to pace around the room.

"You should have told me you were cops; my dad is the chief of police back home." The prospect of being part of a high profile arrest even made my cruise seem a little boring for a while. "I could help." This seemed to tickle green eyes again and he let out another loud laugh.

"Oh don't worry ma'am," he smiled. There was something jarring about that smile. "You've helped enough already, just getting him here should get you a good citizen medal." I preened but before I could query whether there really was such a medal because I'd not heard of it, I heard the elevator doors and a few seconds later Emmett walked back in accompanied by two others.

"Okay," barked green eyes, all business again. "I want you two downstairs out of sight. When he arrives in the foyer text me, Emmett will grab him as soon as the elevator doors open up here." The two 'new' men nodded and left without every acknowledging me.

"You know you don't have to wait for their text." He turned to look at me, as if surprised that I had anything to contribute. "You can see everything that is happening in the foyer on the screen." I pushed open the panel by the door and switched the system on. Instantly we had a view of the main entrance door and everybody that was milling around.

"Well done Miss…?" He left his phrase open, urging me to fill the space. I ignored him.

"Swan," Emmett offered.

"Thank you Miss Swan." He smiled, but it was patronising. "Now why don't you run along? We don't want to risk your safety if anything kicks off here."

"Oh no," one hand immediately went to my hip. "I'm not falling for that. Do you really think I'm going to leave you here in a property I'm responsible for?" His incredulous gaze made me realise that was exactly what he did think. "Fuck that Mister, this penthouse has a seven figure price tag. I'll wait, then when you get your man I'll lock up after you."

"Err, Miss Swan?" Green eyes was really turning on the charm now. It would so easy to fall for his pretty bullshit. "It really isn't a good idea for you to be here when we catch up with him. It won't be pretty and I'd rather we didn't have any witnesses."

"Witnesses, why would that matter?" I looked between green eyes and Emmett. Surely you need witnesses if you are going to get a conviction on whatever he has done?" I was confused now.

"Boss," said Emmett slowly. "Why does she think we need witnesses?"

"Well, Emmett Miss Swan is trying to be a good citizen by helping us with our undercover sting." This one sentence set Emmett falling about laughing. I wasn't sure if it was at me or what green eyes had said but either way something wasn't right.

"Ok enough," I huffed, stomping a foot in illustration of just how serious I was. "Can I see some identification please?" I looked at Emmett who suddenly seemed to regain control.

"What sort of identification would you like to see Miss?" he replied, nice as pie, his smile a mile wide.

"Well if you are cops or feds you will have your ID with you," I was equally nice, but my sweetness was closer to the saccharine hit of diet coke than honey. "Come on then, let's have a look."

Both of them stood looking at me as though I'd just asked them to plait fog, confirmation that they weren't who they had let me believe they were.

I was mad now and a little scared, if they weren't the good guys then they were most likely bad guys and bad guys didn't want witnesses. I needed to get them out of here quickly and with as little damage to the property and me as possible.

"Okay, enough is enough." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I want you out of here now please before I call the cops." I walked towards the door and opened it hoping they would just casually walk out.

"I don't think so Miss. In fact," said green eyes, "it looks as though our Mr Hunter or your Mr Jones has just arrived." A tall blonde haired guy came into view on the monitor.

"Ahh he's got a ponytail," I moaned, unable to stop flipping into sales mode. "I hate guys who have ponytails, they always expect to get money knocked off because they think they are so gorgeous." I stared at the screen until he walked into the elevator.

"Please Miss Swan," said green eyes, and I thought that I could detect just a hint of desperation in his voice. "Just go into the other room until we have finished having our little chat with him, then we will leave you in peace."

"No," I retorted, childishly. "This is my sale I'm not going anywhere." I stood my ground until I saw green eyes nod at the man mountain. For someone so big he moved surprisingly quickly and before I knew it I was over his shoulder and being bundled unceremoniously onto the floor of the closet in the master bedroom. He slammed the door and turned the key on the outside, leaving me angry and in complete darkness.

I don't even know for sure that Mr. Jones or Mr. Hunter or whoever it actually was, ever made it up to the apartment. l kicked and screamed but to no avail, I couldn't hear a word, which made me think that nobody could hear me either. The door was locked from the outside but I knew I had a master key on the ring in my pocket so I was soon on my knees trying to push the key on the other side out so I could unlock the door. It took me forty-five minutes but by the time I got out the apartment was empty, not even a stray hair to show someone other than me had been in there.

After a quick look around I picked up my hamper and the flowers in their IKEA vase and let myself out. I locked up and made my way back to my car. What a waste of a day, no sale and I missed the viewing at the property across town because of all the shit here.

EPOV

"Is she safely locked away? I asked Emmett as he strode back into the room. He nodded.

"Feisty one," he smirked. "I thought I was going to have to gag her."

"You didn't though, did you?" For some reason it was important to me that Miss Swan was okay.

"No," he reassured me. "I left her locked in the closet, she'll be fine in there."

Emmett looked at me strangely but before I could say anything else the elevator doors pinged, the signal that James was about to walk into the apartment. Emmett stood behind the door and off to one side. James knocked on the door and pushed it open, shouting hello as he peered in. Before he even saw me Emmett felled him with a single blow to the back of his head. Paul and Demetri walked in after him and the three of them carried James's body out to load him into the SUV.

I looked around the apartment to make sure everything was as we found it. Both Emmet and I knew better than to touch anything so all I had to do was wipe a few door knobs just to be sure. I walked into the main bedroom and wiped off the closet door. I couldn't hear anything so Isabella must have been sitting quietly waiting for us to finish. I made sure the key was in the right position so she'd be able to push it out. I knew from the shape of her jacket pocket she had a ring of master keys on her. I quietly closed the bedroom door and made my way back to island in the kitchen, I really wanted to open the champagne and the chocolates and just sit and watch the world go by for an hour or so, but I had things to do, traitors to torture and kill, wives to divorce. I smiled at the bright, inexpensive vase placed next to the worn hamper and wondered what Tanya would think about it. I shook the thought away and made my way to the main door, dropping the lock so no one else could get in.

Downstairs Emmett had the car idling for me at the entrance. Paul and Demetri were in the back with James wedged between them. He was still out cold.

"How hard did you hit him Emmett?" I asked.

"Oh you know," he grinned, "just the normal."

Across town at my warehouse two men carried his still prone body across the threshold. Emmett fetched a chair and we soon had James Hunter tied to the wooden chair by the wrists, thighs, ankles and chest.

"Fetch some cold water, it's time to wake him up." I removed my jacket and shoe and slipped on a pair of coveralls. This was going to get messy.

Emmett doused James in cold water and he started to gain consciousness. Slowly he opened his eyes and started to look around. I saw the moment he realised where he was and who was with him. James had been part of my inner circle for a long time and he had been in this warehouse enough to know what happened in here to people who betrayed me or tried to rip me off.

"Good afternoon James, how are you?" I was always polite, no matter what Miss Swan thought. Why was I thinking about her? I got back to the task in hand.

"Boss," he pleaded. "It's all a huge misunderstanding. I never did anything, I just didn't know how to explain the missing cash to you so I panicked, I've found it though!"

I nodded, encouraging him to go on.

"I have it at home in my closet." James was babbling so fast I was having trouble catching what he was saying, all I really caught was 'closet' and that again made me picture Isabella sitting in the closet of the apartment. I wondered if she had managed to get out yet.

"Boss are you ok?" Emmett asked and I looked around to see everyone including James staring at me.

"So James," I began, slowly. "Why is it in your closet and not in my safe?" I walked towards the bag Emmett had bought in with him and selected two long specially sharpened screwdrivers.

"Boss I was going to bring it to you, I just…,"

Before he could answer I stabbed a screwdriver through the back of his hand. I heard the bones break and the wood splinter as it went straight through his flesh and into the chair arm. He screamed like a little girl.

"For fucks sake James at least try to come up with a good excuse," I twisted the handle of the tool, watching with detached fascination as blood welled out of the hole I was making.

"We both know you thought I'd taken my eye off the ball and I wouldn't notice you lifting thirty grand out of the last four shipments."

Even Emmett didn't know it was four deliveries James had shafted me on. I told him about the last two once I was sure about James.

"How did you know it was four?" James asked before he realised he'd just confirmed what I'd said.

"It's my fucking business to know James," I screamed. "Like it is my business to know you are fucking my wife in my house."

He blanched and before he could react I pushed the second screwdriver straight through his right eyeball and up into his brain. I stood back and watched him die. I wasn't bothered about him fucking Tanya. I wasn't really that bothered about the fact it was in my house. No, what really pissed me off was the fact he thought I was too stupid to notice, or that they were so clever that they could sneak around without me finding out.

"Get someone in here to clean up," I sighed. I was bone tired now. "Get rid of him," I cocked my head at the body formerly known as James.

"Make sure he never reappears." I looked at Paul and Demetri to emphasise my point. "I don't want him ever found, understand?" They both nodded and I stripped off the coveralls and stepped outside to get dressed.

Once we were back in the car I called Whitlock.

"Two things."

"Yes?" He replied. I wish everyone listened to me as intently as he did.

"The divorce papers we have ready?" He murmured that he understood what I was referring to. "Serve them today and make sure she is out of the house before I get home. I have proof that she was unfaithful so the pre-nup is null and void."

"Are you sure?" he cautioned. "It might be legal but her family still has influence."

"I'm sure," I told him. "Give her the car and $100K in cash from my safety deposit box. That should keep her in the style to which she has become accustomed for a while. Cancel all her cards and change the alarm codes on the house." Whitlock and I had already talked about this several times in the last few years so I knew he had everything ready to go.

"The second thing I want you to do is find out everything you can about a Miss Isabelle Swan, she runs a company called Swan Home Finders."

"Everything?" he asked.

"Everything." I confirmed.

"Can I ask why?"

"Isabelle Swan will be the next Mrs Cullen, that's why."

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	2. Chapter 2

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter two

 _ **Ok here we go, this is very different for me so we will see what happens. Thank you so much to ladyletters who is my beta on this fic, AJG has earned a much needed rest, but as ever she will be pre reading along with Edlovesme, thank you both of you x**_

EPOV

I needed to eat. The eggs I'd had this morning were a distant memory, the adrenaline rush from killing James had burned through every ounce of energy leaving me cold and weary. It was early afternoon and I still had a lot to achieve today. I needed to pay a visit to that fucker Jacob Black, he was long overdue for a much needed lesson in manners. I'd been clear that no one was to help Hunter, but he openly defied me. I needed to get to Whitlock and sign all the divorce papers. I needed to find a way to evict Tanya. Whitlock thought it would be easy with the law and pre-nup on our side but he didn't know that bitch like I did. There wasn't a hope in hell she was going to leave the house quietly. I shuddered as I imagined the devastation she could cause between being served the papers and me getting home. It would probably be cheaper for me to rebuild the fucking house than actually repair the damage.

I made a mental note to call my father and father in law. I didn't give a shit what either of them thought but it was good form to make a show of respect to my former Don and his friend.

"Emmett," I shouted, checking the time on my phone again then tossing it back on the table. "Where the fuck are you?" We were at my favourite club. It is a legitimate business that I funnel my other revenue through. I love this place. It was sleazy and classy at the same time. Sleazy because I knew what was happening in the areas the paying punters didn't see and classy because the décor and design were top quality. To the outside world it was a very exclusive gentlemen's club; no touching, fondling, ass grabbing or dollar notes in g strings. We carried one of the finest selections of expensive imported whisky, fine wines and cigars in the city and an excellent restaurant you could entertain your mistress at, but never the wife. What the patrons didn't see was the network of rooms underneath where my trusted circle of men moved guns, drugs, gold and anything else I fancied dealing in through the city and eventually the country. The Mayor and even the police chief were regulars and didn't have any idea what was going on directly beneath their feet.

"Emmett, where the fuck are you?" I shouted for a second time. I stood up and stuffed my phone into the inside pocket of my tailored jacket, resolved to find him myself. I ran my hand across the back of a beautifully upholstered chair. This place maybe my favourite and something of a home base but I also owned several strip clubs that fall on the seedier side of the spectrum. My only rule there was that the girls and boys and things in between had to prove their age before they worked in the club. I'm a lot of things but I don't hold with human slavery. From a purely business perspective how the fuck could the customers have a good time with someone who didn't want to be there?

"Here boss," Emmett popped his head around the door. "Sorry, I was out back. What do you need?"

"I don't need anything." He looked at me and blinked. "I want Whitlock here now. I want to go and sort out Black. I need to eat."

"Umm, so what do you want me to do?" He looked confused.

"What the fuck do you think I want you to do?" I yelled. Honestly, sometimes I wondered just how my father had managed to create both of us.

"Well," he replied carefully, "I could go and get Whitlock? Or I could fetch you a sandwich? Or I could go and fetch Black?"

I leant forward and banged my head on the desk, why did I do this to myself? I was surrounded by idiots who couldn't think for themselves.

"For fuck's sake Emmett, think." I glared at him. "When do I ever bring shits like Black to this club? I've already told you I want Whitlock here now." My voice rose until it was almost a scream. "Plus, last time I checked I was perfectly fucking capable of feeding myself."

"So," said Emmett, slowly, "you want me to fetch Whitlock then?"

"YES!" My voice was a scream now, any semblance of self -control gone. "I FUCKING WANT YOU TO FETCH WHITLOCK YOU STUPID SHIT, DON'T COME BACK WITHOUT HIM!"

Emmett blinked a few times, seemingly unaffected by my shouting at him. I'd been doing it since we were toddlers so I suppose he was immune to it.

"Okay Boss I'll go and get Whitlock." With that he saluted and walked out of my office.

"Stupid Fucker!" I shouted after him. I wasn't entirely sure whether his salute was serious or a little dig, a joke that only he understood. Regardless, it stoked my anger.

I liked to eat alone, it was one of the few times I was able to switch my brain off and just savour the food. I was a closet foodie. I'd never admit to anyone as I saw it as a weakness, but I loved trying new flavours from different worlds. Today though it wasn't to be. There were several regulars in the dining room and I needed to play host, walking from table to table making small talk and ensuring everything was up to my high standards.

I wolfed down a beautifully seasoned Kobe steak and was soon back at my desk waiting for Whitlock. He strolled in twenty minutes later, papers falling out of his battered briefcase, laptop tucked precariously under his arm, the power cable dragging behind him and his glasses falling down his nose. First impressions would lead you to believe he was a clumsy, careless man but I knew it was all an act. He was incredibly clever, street smart too and more devious than any criminal I had ever met. Jasper Whitlock was a dangerous man on the right side of the law. Thank fuck he was married to my sister.

"So what do you have for me?" I asked, before his ass even touched the leather of the chair. He ignored me, put his laptop on the desk and stacked his paperwork. I sat impatiently watching him.

"What do you want first?" he asked, when he was finally ready. "Tanya or Miss Swan?"

"Seeing as I have never fucking wanted Tanya let's start with Isabelle," I growled.

"First up," he said, jumping straight in, "she's not Isabelle." Suddenly I was standing up ready to do something. I wasn't sure what, but something. She had lied to me.

"Calm down Edward," said Whitlock, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "It isn't Isabelle its Isabella, she goes by Bella mostly, only using her full name for her business." He rifled through some papers," erm … Swan Home Finders. She has had her realtor licence for several years. A quick look at her history shows nothing out of the ordinary. She's twenty-eight years old and has a business degree from North Western. She originally grew up in the Pacific North west. We presume her Mother died when Isabella was younger as we can't find any trace of her at the present but I'm still digging. Daddy is the Police chief of a small town about four hours out of Seattle. She is an only child and She's single."

A breath that I hadn't realised that I was holding released.

"She's never been married or engaged from what I can tell. She is financially okay but not well off, has a decent credit score and some cash in the bank. Other than that she is your normal everyday average citizen."

I sat trying to take in everything he had told me but all I really heard was that she was single. When I didn't answer Whitlock sat back in the chair. He took off his glasses and rubbed the red marks on either side of the bridge of his nose. I sat down, the elation at knowing that Bella was single replaced by the dread of the conversation about my wife that was going to follow.

"As for Tanya," he began, "she has violated the conditions of her pre nup. It's quite clear that if she is unfaithful she gets nothing. I just need you to produce Mr Hunter in court and we can get the divorce through quickly and quietly without any fuss." He took some papers from his pile, heavy cream sheets, and set them down in front of me. "I need you to sign and date these today so I can go and lodge them at the court house."

"SHIT FUCK SHIT!" I banged my fist on the table, scattering papers.

"Can I hazard a guess that Mr Hunter is no longer available to give evidence?" I nodded. Whitlock looked at me and shook his head. "Seriously Edward, couldn't you have waited until you spoke to me first?"

I knew he was trying to help me but the last thing I needed was to be told off by my fucking brother in law.

"So I'm supposed to ask your fucking permission to run this business?" I was up and pacing again, I fucking hated being questioned. "Are you the fucking morality police now?"

"No need to get defensive Edward," he said, smoothly but firmly. "I would have just told you to keep him alive for a few days until I could get him into court, it could have been the difference between Tanya get nothing and getting half of everything. "

"She is not fucking having anything," I screamed, "that slut does not deserve the steam of my piss never mind millions of my hard earned dollars." She made my blood boil. I knew if I didn't calm down someone would take the brunt of my anger and I couldn't afford for it to be Whitlock. Alice would never forgive me and he was too useful to me.

"Emmett, Emmett? Where the fuck are you?" It's all I seemed to shout today.

"Here Boss," he panted as he came running into the office tucking his shirt into his trousers.

"If you've been fucking that waitress again she better be on her break." He cinched his belt. "If she wants to fuck on my time she can go and work at one of the other clubs more suited to that and make me some cash."

"Edward," he replied, his tone a little chastising, "you know I care about Rosie, she isn't just a casual fuck." He shrugged his shoulders. "I just don't get a lot of spare time so we have to take what we can get." He smoothed his ruffled hair and straightened his tie.

I tried to think back to see if I remembered a conversation with him telling me about this waitress. I dimly remembered something but it couldn't have been that important as I'd obviously dismissed it.

"So, Whitlock what do we do?" I barked. "Do I need to find another of her bed partners who can stand up in court for us or can you do something about it?"

"What makes you think Rosie is having sex with someone else?" Emmett asked, defensively. "And why would he need to go to court for you?" Both Whitlock and I turned to look at Emmett.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked at the same time that Whitlock voiced the same sentiment with a little less obscenity.

"You just said…" His mouth hung open, clearly not quite sure what was going on.

"Shut the fuck up Emmett," I told him, "go and get the car, you and I are going to go and pay Jacob Black a visit. Jasper," I turned my attention back to my brother in law, using his Christian name to indicate that we were moving beyond business. I thought he had a slight smirk on his face. "I need to talk to you about something else, can you meet me later?" He nodded. "I'm going to stay here tonight."

"A word of advice Edward," said Jasper as he started to pack away the now redundant paperwork. "Don't kill Jacob Black. Hurt him badly but leave him alive so people can see what happens when they disobey your direct orders."

My first reaction was to tell him to fuck himself, but as I thought about what he'd said I had to grudgingly admit he made sense. I nodded a terse, swift acknowledgement.

He cocked his head slightly in return. I needed a new consigliore. While I should be guided by tradition and have my brother, a true family member, Jasper Whitlock had just proven yet again that he would be of much more use to me.

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	3. Chapter 3

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter three

EPOV

I sat in the back of the Range Rover, adrenalin once again charging through my veins. We had dropped Jasper off at the court house so that he could process the divorce papers. I had a few days before Tanya would receive them so I had time to remove one or two things from the house that I was sure she would take or destroy because she knew they were of sentimental value to me. Stupid bitch. I'm not attached to anything. The jewellery though, that was my grandma's and she had left it to me to give to my wife. Tanya didn't deserve it. Never had.

I wondered what Isabella was doing. Was she showing someone else the penthouse? Or was she showing another property somewhere else? Not knowing where she was was already starting to annoy me. I needed to make sure she was safe, so that I could concentrate on running my business. I made a mental note to talk to Emmett about setting up a security team for her. She didn't know she was going to be the next Mrs Cullen yet and it might take her a bit of time to accept the idea. Any security team would have to be discreet and stay hidden until she accepted me and my lifestyle.

"We're nearly at Black's apartment Boss," said Emmett. "How close do you want to get?"

"Well I don't expect you to park in the foyer, so outside the door?" It was a stupid fucking question.

"I meant," he continued, "do you want to sneak up on him? We could leave the car a couple of blocks away so he doesn't see us coming"

"For fucks sake Emmett," I snarled. "I'm supposed to be the most feared man in the city. Why the fuck would I want to sneak anywhere? If he's not there I'll make sure to leave a little note asking him to come visit me at the club sometime."

"Boss, I don't think he would come to the club on his own." The look on his face was painfully sincere. " I think that's giving him a bit too much freedom, he'll probably do a runner."

"Okay Emmett," I fought the urge to reach forward and slam his stupid earnest face into the steering wheel. "Park outside the front door of the building and we will go up and speak to Black. If my hunch is right, he will be expecting Hunter back tonight for one last night before he was supposed to be moving on again. That reminds me," I muttered, almost to myself, "we need to get over to Hunters to get my cash back. It better fucking be in the closet like he said it was."

"Boss we've already stripped Hunters place bare," said Emmett, "believe me there is no cash in that apartment at all."

Thinking about a closet full of my money took my thoughts once again to Isabella. I hope she got out of that closet quickly. If she hadn't she wasn't the woman I thought she was and that would be a shame.

"We're here." Emmett nudged the Range Rover into a space in front of Black's building. It was non-descript. The Blacks were known as a a force to be reckoned with so I was surprised I couldn't see any security or even a couple of spotters. The streets were deserted, almost eerily so, rubbish and dead leaves swirling in piles on the dirty sidewalk .The Blacks weren't in my league, they just 'ran' a few blocks in this area because I let them. They paid their dues to me like everyone did.

"Ready Boss?" asked Emmett.

I nodded and walked into the building. There was no visible CCTV which, combined with the lack of a street presence meant that it was unlikely that they would see me coming. How fucking stupid to not know who was visiting. My thoughts turned to Isabella again, the panel in the penthouse with the excellent view of the foyer and her comments about men with ponytails. I couldn't help but smirk, the last time I'd seen Black he had a very long pony tail.

We took the stairs, not wanting to be cornered in the lift when the doors opened, but it was a waste of energy. When we got to the top floor there wasn't a single guard or look out posted anywhere I could see. At the door Emmett reached for the handle and after looking at me to make sure I ready he turned the handle and walked straight in.

"Who the fuck…" was all the nearest guy managed to say before Emmett hit him once in the face and rendered him unconscious.

There was a scrambling around as several stoned, high or drunk guys tried to coordinate but they were too far gone to be effective. I took a quick look around but couldn't see Black so I grabbed the nearest guy by the throat and dragged him off the couch.

"Where the fuck is Black?" He shook his head but didn't say anything. I took out my gun, pressed it to the side of his head and asked again.

"Where" Where is Jacob Black?" It was either my careful enunciation of the question or the fact that the cold muzzle of the gun had captured his attention but this time he seemed to really think about his answer. After a short silence he pointed to a doorway leading off the main room. I pushed the guy back onto the couch.. The other men had stilled now, already beaten and either unable or unwilling to take us on.

Emmett positioned himself to the left of the door, gun in hand. He looked at me and I nodded, taking my place on the right hand side of the door. At my signal Emmett kicked the door, wrenching it from the frame in one slick, destructive movement. He peeked around the door frame into the room then indicated that it was safe. His face broke into a grin.

"Well, look what we have here Boss," he said, gleefully, "it seems we have interrupted Mr Black at a bad time." Emmett was almost laughing as I walked around him and stood at the bottom of the bed. I didn't laugh. The sight before me was pitiful. Black was spread eagle on his back. Some poor young girl, who was quite obviously one of his customers, was blowing him. The girl was all skin, bone and sores and clearly desperate for her next fix. Black had a bag full of my product on the table but he had a smaller packet of something I didn't recognise on his chest which appeared to be her payment.

The girl didn't give a shit we were there, she just kept blowing him, her only thought the answer to her hurt once she had made him come. It turned my stomach to see her desperation so I had Emmett lift her off his dick. She screamed and fought Emmett with an urgency that amazed me however I quickly realised she was just trying to reach the little packet of rocks sat on his chest. I picked up the bag and had a good look at it. It looked like Meth, not something I dealt in, too destructive for me. What was the point of selling something that killed off your customers so quickly? Now I had proof Black was working for someone else as well as me and that was not part of our arrangement.

After Emmett slung the girl and her fix out of the room, I looked at Black, really looked at him. I hadn't seen him in a while, the last time was his father's funeral a couple of years back. Billy Black was a gentleman, a proper old school type gangster. He would be disgusted if he could see Jacob now but that wasn't my concern. I was here to deal with his disrespect.

"So," I began, cutting to the chase ," a very talkative little bird told me that James Hunter has been staying here for the past few nights."

I'd give him one chance, if he lied to me his punishment would be ten times worse. It was already pissing me off that he hadn't even moved from the bed or even tried to put his now limp dick away. He was either high himself or seriously disrespectful.

"What? No fucking chance?" He scratched his balls, clearly not aware of just how much danger he was in right now. Did he really think he could brazen this out? "I 'm not stupid, I knew you were looking for him and the missing money. Everybody does."

"You knew I was looking for him and yet you still let him stay here?" I was calm, I needed to stay calm.

"No Cullen. No way…" no way he has not been here, fuck"

"MR FUCKING CULLEN TO YOU SHITBAG" I yelled. I stopped for a moment, took a deep breath. I needed to stay calm.

"No Mr Cullen he wasn't here I swear." The gravity of the situation appeared to have hit home. Black was trying to move backwards up the bed to get into a sitting position, his dick was still flapping about.

"You see Jacob," I said, evenly, "that statement presents me with a little problem because when I spoke to Mr Hunter this morning he told me himself he was staying here. " Jacob's"Jacob's eyes widened. I had his full attention. "He told me that," I continued, "just before he told me where my money was."

Instantly Blacks eyes went to the closed closet door on the far side of the room. Stupid fucker had no poker face. He had just given away the location of the missing money, the last card that he was holding.

"If I open this door and my money is in there with Hunter's things I'm going to know you were lying, and then…" I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, then Emmett is going to have to fucking punish you, isn't he?"

Emmett grabbed Black round the throat while I walked over to the closet door and swung it open. There on the floor sat several bags. I took a pair of gloves out of my suit pocket and slipped them on. The first couple of bags were just Hunter's clothes. He had obviously moved out of his own place quickly with just enough stuff to keep him going. In the next two bags I found my money. Or should I say what was left of it. Without counting the bundles, I could tell immediately that a substantial amount was missing

"Oh dear," I said to Emmett, "look what we have here. It looks as though Mr Black here has lied to us. I believe this is my money, is it not?" I pulled the two sports bags out of the closet and dumped them on the ground in front of me. As I started to straighten up I spotted a large box towards the back of the closet that was full of rolls of $ 50 bills. This must be Black's own stash.

"Oh look and here is the rest of it,"I," I said as I dropped the box on top of the bags. "No Mr Cullen," Black reacted instantly. "That's mine."

"Oh," I asked, super polite, "so you mean that the bags are Hunter's but the box is yours?" The stupid fucker nodded his head, too stupid to realise he'd dropped himself in it for the sake of a few grand.

"Leave this to me Boss,"Boss, Emmett"Emmett nodded at Black.

I collected all the cash together and pushed it into the two bags, looking at it I had probably got everything I was owed plus an extra few grand on top. Not a bad days work really.

I looked back at the bed and Emmett must have just knocked Black out with his usual finesse. One punch to the side of the jaw that any boxer would have proud of and Black was out cold.

"Boss," he said, urgently, "how badly do we need to hurt him? It's just we have an audience out there."

"I want something creative Emmett, something that tells people not to fuck with me," I scratched the stubble on my chine, trying to think creatively, "something that Black will never forget and once people talk about what you did to him, they never fucking forget either."

Whitlock's words raced around my head as I looked at the semi naked figure in front of me.

"Cut his fucking dick off," I told him.

"Boss are you serious?" His eyes widened. "We usually save that punishment for the paedos or rapists."

"I'm serious," I told him. "Do you have you tools with you?"

"Never leave home without the important ones," Emmett patted his inside pocket of his suit jacket. "You know that Boss," he frowned, "but if I just cut his dick off and we walk away he will bleed out pretty quickly. I thought you wanted him alive?"

"Okay," I replied, after a moment of thought, "cut it off half way down. Call 911 from a phone out there but break all his fingers too so every time he goes to hold whatever is left of it, he remembers who did it to him and why."

I was happy with that compromise. I could live with that. My thoughts strayed to Isabella again, she had said she was surprised people listened to me, well this was my gentle art of persuasion and it worked.

I picked up the bags and walked out of the bedroom, most of the scum bags had already deserted Jacob, the few left were too high to really do anything, I knew word would already be out we'd visited so as soon as his 'injuries' were known the street would know what happened to people who disrespected me.

I waited for ten minutes in the car before Emmett reappeared. He had a few splashes of blood on his shirt but nothing a quick bonfire wouldn't solve. All my clubs had furnaces in, they were very handy.

"So is it done?"

"It's done. Emmett held up a brown paper bag with dark splotches already visible .

"The blade?" I asked.

"I'm really pissed about that because it was my favourite," he started moaning but when he saw the look on my face switched to the facts that I was looking for. "I made sure it was clean and then I left it in the hand of one of the guys who was passed out on the couch. I called 911 anonymously from the payphone outside then wiped it down." As if on cue the sound of sirens pierced the background hum of the city at night. "They should be here shortly so we need to get out of here."

Emmett put the Range Rover into drive and slipped the dark car quietly into the street, turning right at the end of the long residential street and merging into the stream of traffic on the main drag. The bags sat beside me on the back seat of the car. Cash and product to resell. Not a bad haul given that I had written most of the stolen cash off. The brown bag with the top two inches of Jacob's dick sat beside me too. I should have probably left it at the scene but I didn't want any chance that the medical team would be able to sew it back on. I would watch it burn along with Emmett's clothes when we got back to the club. I would enjoy a good Scotch while doing so. I sighed to myself. One problem solved and another one rears its ugly head, fucking Tanya. And she was a problem that I suspected would not be so easily solved.

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Thank you to Ladyletters for working her magic on this.

My thoughts go to everyone in London this morning, I'm in the middle of this beautiful country of ours, but it affects us all. Stay safe wherever you are x


	4. Chapter 4

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter 4

BPOV

No copyright infringement intended.

This open house is really beginning to grate on my nerves. Not only have the prospective clients managed to polish off my expensive chocolates, they have also manged to work their way through most of the cheese, crackers and truffles. I mean, come on, who comes to look at a property and then proceeds to eat their way through the tiny selection that is really only there for display purposes? I should have left the best before dates on display. They were in date, just, and by just I mean today. I sighed and pasted a smile on my face as a portly middle aged man stuffed another one of the expensive chocolates into his mouth. They have been sitting in the hamper for nearly two years so I suppose I'd had a good run out of them. The champagne was long gone so I was handing out cheap plonk now that I'd fetched from the grocery store on the corner. I 'd talked him into a bit of a discount when I'd offered to promote his shop to the prospective new owners coming to look at the property I was showing.

It was a decent little house. The area was up and coming and the block was quite nice, not quite suburbia but far enough out of the centre to be away from any trouble spots. It had a small front garden and a decent yard at the back so once it was given a little TLC it would make a good first home for a couple starting out or a small family needing some space.

As I looked around at the three couples trying to decide if this was their dream home I couldn't help but think about the penthouse I'd been at last week, the beautiful view, the lush white carpets, the amazing kitchen, all that space and green eyes pressing me up against the window as he ravished me.

I shook my head. Where did that come from? I hadn't thought about Green eyes or the man mountain since I'd finally fought my way out of that closet. Even the thought of him made by blood boil. I owed him a slap for leaving me locked in that closet.

My dreary day carried on and I finally managed to close the doors at 3pm. Seven couples had dropped by, two small families and one single woman. It was a good turnout and I felt a little smug that I'd been right about the neighbourhood. It was definitely getting a better reputation. If I could secure this first sale it would stand me in good stead to take on any more properties coming onto the market before the bigger agencies twigged and started to move onto the patch.

As I locked up one of the families came back and I spent half an hour pushing them to get to the final offer they wanted to put in. Thankfully it was accepted by the family that owned it as they wanted a quick sale. I was able to put up the sold board before I finally left for the day. As I loaded my now empty hamper and my vase into my truck I looked at the black Range Rover parked across the road. It had a distinctive silver stripe running down the side and I was sure I'd seen it before. I'm a cop's daughter and I know to trust my gut instinct, so I grabbed my phone out of my bag and quickly snapped a photo of it side on before angling myself so I could get a shot of the licence plate. The driver must have realised what I was doing because they pulled away sharply leaving rubber all over the road. I went back to packing my stuff away only to see another black range rover pull into the same spot. What were the odds of that?

I needed to swing by my favourite penthouse and make sure everything was okay. I looked at the empty hamper and realised that I would have to replenish it ready for tomorrow. I also needed groceries. The last time I looked in my refrigerator the only thing in there was frost and some of my cosmetics that were organic, chemical and preservative free. I made my way to my local market and parked up, grabbed a trolley and wandered around throwing in all the usual stuff. I really did need everything so after stocking up on the essentials I threw in ice cream and cookies and a frozen pizza. I paid and as the cashier handed my card back I could have sworn the man mountain I'd been thinking about earlier shot across my eye line and out of the store. I shook my head. Why would he be here? However, as I unlocked my truck a big black range rover shot out of the parking lot.

As I drove home I kept one eye on the rear view mirror. Call me paranoid, but I had a feeling about this and it wasn't good. I needed to talk to my dad, he could run the licence plates and let me know who owned them.

"Hey Daddy," I said brightly, in response the grunt that had just come down the phone line. "How is my favourite super cop?" He had taken his time answering the phone so I tried to work out the time difference. You'd think after all this time I'd be able to do it automatically, but I was crap at it. I had done my usual thing and just picked up the phone and called him without thinking.

"I'm asleep Bella," was the answer he mumbled before his breath slowed again back into sleep. "Okay," I said quickly. "I'm sending you two licence plates Can you run them for me please and let me know who owns them? I've seen them once too often today." "Sure," he said before hanging up.

He might have been sleeping but I knew that within the next 30 minutes I'd have an answer.

I pulled up outside the penthouse and looked carefully around the parking lot. There wasn't a Range Rover in sight, so I made my way to the elevator and into what was quickly becoming my favourite place to be. Everything was fine, as I knew it would be. I mean, they had a doorman around the clock so nobody else was going to be coming in. Being brutally honest I just loved being in this space. I wandered round again, touching worktops and looking out of the windows. Part of the reason that I wish that the owners had plumped for a furniture package was so that I would have somewhere to sit when fantasising that it was mine.

I popped open the panel by the door and switched on the entry panel. There was a figure in the middle of the foyer. I squinted at the image on the screen, waiting for the figure to move so that I could see his face. Finally, he moved and it was none other than the Man Mountain himself. I watched as he spoke to the doorman, looked around the foyer, checked the elevators and then strode back outside. I wasn't sure if I should be scared or not. What could they possibly want with me? My stomach tightened. Perhaps I was a witness if they had done something to Mr Jones or whatever his name really was?

My phone rang and I jumped.

"Hello?"

"Bella, it's your father." Before I could respond he continued. "What the fuck have you got yourself into this time?"

"I've done nothing," I told him, a little defensively. "All I said was that I had seen the cars once too often today" He could never stay mad at me, in fact he was the reason I could wrap most men around my little finger, I'd had years of practice on him and his deputies of getting exactly what I wanted.

"I checked the plates," he said, moving on but not apologising for the accusation. "They both belong to the same company, Cullen Industries. As soon as I checked them I had a call from your local area, the feds wanted to know why I was checking out the plates."

"Why?" I really didn't need the feds coming to see me at home, not in the neighbourhood I lived in at present. "What did you tell them?"

"I told them the truth," he said, in a tone which suggested that he would never tell me anything other than the complete truth, "that you are my daughter, that you live on your own and you think you are being followed. They want to know why anyone from Cullen Industries would be following you?"

"I'm not saying they were," I said. Doubt started to creep into my mind. Was it the same car? Had I been imagining things? "It could be a total coincidence, What's the big deal, who are Cullen Industries?"

"They wouldn't tell me sweetheart," he sighed. "It could be a front for undercover cops or maybe the local crime family." I looked at the monitor and I could Man mountain was still hanging out in the foyer. Time to find out what was going on.

"Daddy go back to sleep," I told him. I could hear how tired he was and I didn't want to worry him. "I'm fine. I promise if I have any more problems I'll call okay. Love you super cop, see you soon."

I watched the numbers on the elevator get closer to the zero. One hand was buried deep within my handbag on Charlie's last Christmas present, a taser, and my pepper spray was tucked into the back of my pants. The doors opened but there was nobody there. After a moment the lift doors started to close. I put my hand out to stop them closing completely then walked into the foyer. Alfie, the elderly doorman, was my source of information about the apartment and the block.

"Hi Alfie," I said and he looked up and greeted me with a smile. "It's all okay up there. I've locked up and you have my number if you need to contact me." This was my usual routine but I'd positioned myself so I could see the front doors, just in case anyone was waiting outside.

"Okay," he replied, pleased to see me. "What a coincidence. I just had a guy in enquiring about how he could see the penthouse I told him you were up there at the moment and that I could contact you, but he said he didn't have time. I gave him your business number; I hope that was okay?" His eyes crinkled with concern.

"That's perfect Alfie." I leaned in closer. "Of course, you know that if I sell the penthouse that we won't be able to meet like this anymore." He flushed and chuckled.

"I should have given him the wrong number then."

I laughed in response, said goodbye and made my way home without seeing a single Range Rover.

Over the next couple of days, I went about my business. I leased another house in my neighbourhood and took on two more, word of mouth referrals from the owners. I showed two more clients my beloved penthouse but I didn't think either of them could actually afford it. I went out for coffee with Angela and Jess, had lunch with Bree and went drinking with Kate and didn't see a single suspicious car, I had almost managed to convince myself that I was paranoid when I noticed a Range Rover right behind me on the way back from Wholefoods. The windows were tinted but the size of the silhouette made me think it was man mountain so I slammed on my brakes, trying to get a better look but he peeled off quickly, as soon as he realised I'd seen him.

That was enough, I was on my way home so as soon as I unloaded my purchases, I turned on my laptop and googled Cullen Industries. There wasn't a lot of information, the group consisted mainly of clubs, restaurants and bars. The offices were contained on the upper floors of one of the clubs and the owners were listed as several different trusts and a couple of foreign enterprises, layers of intrigue so no one could actually pinpoint who the owner really was. I knew then that my father was right. They probably were the local crime family and they were keeping an eye on me.

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I just wanted to say hello to all the new readers who have joined me. I hope you enjoy the story.


	5. Chapter 5

The Next Mrs Cullen

No copyright infringement meant, I know these characters belong to Ms Meyer.

Chapter 5

EPOV

"Whitlock," I barked, "can I fucking do it today or not? Are we ready to go?"

I would never admit this to anyone but I was waiting for Jasper to give the go ahead for me to finally throw the bitch out of my home. She hadn't had the fucking papers yet, a balls up at the court house had caused some sort of delay. I wanted to go down there and rip the fucking place apart, but my level headed brother in law was trying to get everything sorted.

"You know you could send her off to a spa or on a holiday somewhere," said Jasper, not in the least bit affected by my tirade, "that way we could move her out quietly. It might also keep the two old gentlemen happy." We were sat in his office. I was so far past giving a fuck about what anyone thought that he was having trouble keeping me sane and sat down.

"Where the fuck is Emmett anyway?" I asked, testily. "I haven't seen him in days." For some reason Seth was driving me at the moment.

"I put him on Isabella," replied Jasper. He was so fucking reasonable it was hard to maintain the same level of anger in his presence. "I thought you would appreciate her safety being a priority."

I couldn't argue with that, I needed the situation with Tanya sorting before I could move onto Isabella.

"Where are you with removing anything from your home you wanted to keep separate?" Jasper asked, taking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I've collected all the papers that were in my office and they are in my office safe." He nodded. "I changed the safe combination like you told me to My grandmother's jewellery is in there as well as my Mothers engagement ring." She really was an ungrateful cow. That jewellery meant a lot to my family and she couldn't even be bothered wearing it on our anniversary or on family occasions. "Tanya hasn't worn it in years so It was easy enough to get it out of her jewellery box." I was ready, it was the waiting that was killing me.

The phone rang. I looked at Jasper and he looked at me. "Whitlock." I watched his expression. He glanced up at me once, twice, three times. I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be good news.

"How was this allowed to happen?" He sounded calm, reasonable. "I gave you strict instructions that you were to call me before anything was served." He paused again and I could hear the voice of the person on the other end of the phone rising. "I don't care if you had a day off, I pay you to keep me abreast of developments such as this." I have to give it to the fucker, he was ice cold, I would have blown my top long before now. "You'll hear from me," he said, in a voice so calm and controlled it almost made me quiver. He slammed down the phone, the only outward sign of his anger, and took a deep breath.

"I take it you're still staying in the apartment above the club?" I nodded. I steeled myself for what was coming.

"Apparently she was served with papers yesterday afternoon," he glanced at his wristwatch, "so at this point she has had them nearly twenty-four hours."

"Fuck!" I wanted to be there when they served her." I got to my feet, walked across to the window and slammed my fists on the windowsill. No fucker looked up. "I wanted to watch something wipe the smile off her face. I started pacing the office, fists balled up at my side, fingernails pressing into my palms.

"Is she liable to do much damage? "Jasper asked, practical as always.

"She will trash the place," I told him. "I'm probably going to need a fucking total rebuild," I looked out of the window again, looking for a tell-tale plume of smoke across the city. The air was clear, apart from the usual city smog. Life pulsed on the street below, ants going about their business unaware of the monumental clusterfuck that had just hit me.

"I suggest you go home and sort out what is happening," said Jasper, putting his glasses back. "The papers informed her she had 24 hours to vacate the property and that he could only take with her anything that came into the marriage with her such as her clothes, personal belongings and her car "

"Fuck that," I told him. "I'll wait until she's gone, I've got more Important things to sort out. If she knows then so does her father and more importantly so does mine." I was surprised I hadn't already been summoned to explain myself.

"Edward," said Jasper, opening a spreadsheet and squinting at the figures. "Are you aware that Tanya has accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of antiquities with your money?" I shrugged my response, she was always buying stuff for the house. "Well, she has impeccable taste," I glared at him, which he ignored, "all of them are highly sought after in the antiques world. if she takes them she could easily liquidate them. Even if she takes rock bottom prices she could still clear several hundred thousand dollars on top of the one hundred thousand dollars you have offered her."

Part of me wanted to just say, fuck it, if it got rid of her easily. However, the more I thought about it the angrier I got. She had spent my money, shit loads of my money. Those horrendous but apparently desirable things were technically mine. But how had she done it? She didn't have access to my personal accounts, and the joint accounts didn't have anywhere near that much money in them. She never asked me for any, I just presumed she used her credit cards for anything she needed.

"Can you look into her finances?" Jasper nodded. "I'm curious to know where she got the cash to buy all these things?"?"

"I've already looked," said Jasper, coolly. Fuck I loved it when he was one step ahead. "I found an account that isn't on any of the ledgers. It seems she has a regular amount paid in every three months. She has been buying and selling antiques for years."

"So I'm not paying for the antiques then, she paid for them herself?"

"No, what has happened is that she upped the limit on the credit cards so that you would only be notified if someone tried to spend over $50,000. She has been using your money to buy items. She drip feeds them to auction with the profits kept at the auction house then paid to her every few months. Her secret account has over half a million dollars in it at the moment. Once she takes everything out of the house and sells it, that along with the account and the cash you promised her, well," he peered at his spreadsheet again. "I estimate she will walk away with about a million dollars in cash."

"Fuck me," I breathed, quite staggered by the scale of her subterfuge. "I've been well and truly played haven't I?" A new realisation took hold, one that stabbed my stomach with an icy finger. "It's as though she has been getting ready for this day? Maybe she planned to leave me all along and take everything." I was getting angry, I could feel it, the tingling in my fingers, the tickle in the back of my throat, I was going to lose it if I didn't get a grip.

"I agree," said Jasper, "she has been stockpiling ready to leave. I think we may have surprised her though. I'm just annoyed that she has had twenty-four hours' head start on us."

"I bet she hasn't told anyone yet so as not to cause any problems or cause her embarrassment." I quickly pulled out my phone and started to call my computer guy who took care of everything for me.

"Edward," said Jasper, "before you do anything illegal please leave my office. I can't hear you order anyone to clear her account before she does or find out who she has contracted to remove all her possessions." He looked at me over his glasses with his eyebrows raised.

I walked out of his office shouting for Seth. I knew I'd made the right decision. Jasper Whitlock and I could take this business to new heights I loved my brother but brains were not his best asset.

As soon as I was in the car I let Paul know what I needed him to do. He called back twenty minutes later to let me know that Tanya's account now had $1 in it. he had removed the rest and placed it in a special account off shore. He had also hacked the system of the specialist movers she had booked, they were apparently already on route and were expected to be on site at my home for the next four hours.

I found Emmett who was watching Isabella at the gym, lucky bastard, and filled him in on what I needed him to sort out.

I made sure I was downstairs in the club having dinner with the Mayor at the very second Emmett would be executing my revenge. My little red-faced alibi.

Emmett POV

This was wrong, even by my brother's standards. I knew things were bad between him and Tanya and I was expecting the divorce, but to do this was just sacrilege. I tried to think of a way around what he wanted. I knew he would go ballistic if things didn't go to the letter but really what harm would it do to ease up at bit? I had briefed my crew and everyone knew what they needed to do. Quill was still watching Isabella, but everyone else was here. No matter how much I tried I couldn't find a rationale for this plan. He was destroying things just for the sake of it. I wasn't even sure Isabella knew he existed, never mind fancied him.

I watched from the shadows of the garden as the specialist movers started to bring out Tanya's collection of antiques. The fainting couch, the louis XVI dining table and eight matching chairs, several small occasion tables, paintings and at least 10 different small sculptures. The list went on and on as she continually told the men to get a move on. I knew we were nearly finished when several garment rails came out full of her clothes, followed by boxes and boxes of shoes and handbags. While everyone was busy Embrey managed to slip under the front of the truck and attach a tracking device, just in case we lost them, then he let half the air out of the front passenger side tyre. We sat back and watched as the driver locked the back of the truck. Everything had been documented as it came out of the house, so I knew we had a full itinerary of what was on board.

We moved into position as the driver got into the cab, ready to pull away. The other guys jumped into an SUV and sped off leaving the truck driver alone. We followed him, me and Embrey in an old van behind him and Garrett in a Range Rover in front of him. The Boss's intel was spot on as he took the expected short cut to the interstate and we were ready as Garrett slowed right down, causing the truck to slow too. His tyre was deflating and as his speed slowed the heavily loaded van became more difficult to control. He slowed down and pulled onto a parking lot, we followed. As soon as he was out of the cab, Garrett hit him on the back of the head. It wasn't a hard blow, just enough to rendered him unconscious, he then dragged him away from the truck and left him on the ground.

The next part was easy, an old t shirt pushed into the fuel pipe, a quick flick of a lighter and by the time we were back in our cars, the truck was alight. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, the van exploded. The sound was deafening, it would have been heard several blocks away. I'm not going to lie, the thought of all those beautiful antiques going up in flames very nearly reduced me to tears, but Edward was adamant, nothing was to survive. I looked at the burning truck in my rear view mirror. It might have been a crying shame but I had carried my orders out in full.

EPOV

Shit, the mayor was a boring fucker. I really don't give a flying fuck about the rate of Inflation or whether the UK leaving the EU would affect the world economy. I just needed an alibi when the insurance assessor came a calling, I'm not a stupid fucker, as soon as I had put the wheels in motion to get the bitch out I made sure my insurance was bang up to date and that I was covered for any goods in transit to storage. Little did Tanya realise her shopping habit had just made me a cool million dollars. I just wish I could have been there not only to watch the bitch get served the papers, but also when she learns everything has gone up in flames.

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Thank you so much to the wonderful Ladyletters for making this readable. You are working wonders on it x


	6. Chapter 6

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter 6

No copyright infringement meant, I know Ms Meyer owns these characters.

BPOV

I had been mulling over the stalker situation for a few days and come to the conclusion that I probably wasn't in any danger. Man mountain wasn't even bothering to keep himself hidden anymore, it was almost as if he wanted me to know that he was tailing me. I had seen him at the market, the gym, outside my apartment and even outside two separate properties that I had been showing to prospective buyers. Part of me was screaming that I should be worried. However, he had never made any attempt to converse with me or threaten me, he just stayed close by as though he was protecting me from something or someone. Several times I had been tempted to go over and confront him but every time I made my way over to him he just jumped into his car and drove off, shortly to be replaced by another Range Rover driver. The fact that more than one person was involved in the operation made me more confident that man mountain wasn't a stalker. It also left me confused and wondering why on earth somebody would want to go this effort to keep an eye on me.

I had seen the dynamic between man mountain and his sinfully green eyed brother at the penthouse. Man mountain had even called him "boss." It seemed that the only way that I had of getting any answers was to bypass the monkey and go straight to the organ grinder. I didn't want man mountain or any of his associates to get between me and answers, so after some careful planning and a department store that had several different exits I lost the Range Rover brigade.

I knew that Cullen Industries shared an office with some sort of skank bar and I had braced myself for something seedy. It was something of a relief when I saw that it was an upmarket gentlemen's club located at an upmarket address. I knew from experience that real estate here cost a small fortune and if Cullen Inc owned the building, well let's just say their balance sheet must have been seriously healthy. Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the entrance and pressed the entry buzzer.

"May I help you ma'am?" the male voice asked.

I was at this point I realised I didn't know green eyes or man mountains name. I knew in the back of my mind somewhere Man mountain had introduced himself, but I couldn't remember for the life of me what he had said.

"I need to speak to the owner please." I knew it was a long shot but I just couldn't think what else to say. I really should have planned this or at least thought about what I was going to do when I lost man mountain.

"I'm sorry ma'am," the voice responded, politely, "this is a gentleman's club, women are not allowed on the premises."

Now, normally that type of comment would have been like waving a red rag at a bull. I could quite easily have started a serious rant on my rights as a human being and the disgusting sexism that was being displayed yet before I could even take a preparatory breath I realised that whoever was on the other end of the entry system had already gone. I was angry. I wanted to rip open the door. I wanted to take a megaphone and scream in the face of the polite sexist pig that had dismissed me so easily. I wanted to utilise some of the lock picking skills that my father really shouldn't have taught me to let myself in and find the pompous prick before finding green eyes and getting some answers. Only the three separate CCTV cameras trained on the door stopped me from taking my revenge.

I decided to have one more try, it could pay off or it would expose me for the chancer I was.

I pushed the entry button again.

"As I explained Ma'am," said the voice, firm but polite, seemingly not rattled by my persistence, "women are not allowed on the premises."

"I understand that," I said, in what I hoped was a tone as polite but firm as his, "however I need to speak to Mr Cullen. And for the record I'm not a Ma'am, I'm a miss."

I crossed my fingers, hoping that my guess that the name of the company would be the same as its owner would pay off.

The silence on the other side seemed to go indefinitely. I knew he was still there because I could hear background noise and though he was covering the microphone with his hand while he talked to someone.

"I'm sorry, Mr Cullen isn't here at the moment, but if you would like to leave your name I will make sure he knows you called."

So there was a Mr Cullen, I wondered if it was green eyes, no one else would get away with speaking to people the way he did, unless they were the boss.

"Can you tell him Isabella Swan would like to speak to him? I'm sure he remembers who I am, if he needs a reminder just tell him I'm the realtor that helped Mr Jones." The background noise faded, indicating that he was gone again.

I was lingering in the foyer even though I knew I'd just been dismissed. I was hoping that he would just appear in the doorway to check it was me, but he obviously wasn't going to. I turned to leave but my exit was blocked by two well dressed, elder gentlemen.

"Excuse me gentlemen," I said, with a bright smile. I can be polite when I need to be.

"Oh, look Carlisle," said the shorter one in a thick Chicago accent, looking me up and down in a way that made my hackles rise, "one that can actually talk without chewing gum. It looks like someone finally put some thought into the class of sluts being hired."

I thought about answering him in Spanish, a language I was fluent in, but then again he probably wouldn't understand me so it would be wasted on him. In the end I played up to his expectations and started to move my jaw like I was chewing a huge wad of gum. I even clicked my tongue to make it sound like I was bursting bubbles in my mouth. To add insult to injury I flipped them a perfect finger as I turned away. The 'gentleman' shuddered as if I'd offended him, the other one laughed and winked at me.

I knew that would get Green eyes attention if he was watching me on the entrance camera and if not I was certainly making a big enough impression to get my message passed on whenever he actually showed up. I walked back to my truck and just as I was settling into my seat three Range Rovers screamed in to the underground parking garage across from me. It seems I was in the correct place after all.

As soon as I saw the Range Rovers I relaxed as I knew for sure then that they were following me. I didn't know why, but I was sure I wasn't in any danger. They had had plenty of opportunities to snatch me or just kill me so I was pretty sure I was just being watched. I felt better, it was hard to explain, I felt protected and with that I decided to treat myself so I made my way to my favourite diner. It was a small family run diner off the beaten track. I grabbed my favourite booth, sheltered from the door and the diner floor, it was private, I could eat what I fancied, read my latest book and not worry about what other people thought of a lone woman sitting eating piles of fries, dirty burgers or buckets of ribs.

"Hi Bella," Judy shouted as I made my way to my favourite booth. "The usual?" I shook my head; I was in the mood for something different.

"I'm in no rush," I told her, "I'm going to settle down with a coffee and my book then order in a little while."

"Not a problem," she smiled, turning up at the table in a flash with a white mug, a jug of cream and a coffee pot, "we're not busy, stay as long as you want."

About an hour later I could no longer resist the smells coming out of Hal's kitchen so I ordered a huge club sandwich, a side of cheesy chilli fries, a large coke and a slice of chocolate cake. I'd just taken the first bite of the sandwich and when someone slid into the booth across from me. At first I was pissed that someone was joining me. I mean, there were empty booths across from me and I was sitting with my nose in a book, who on earth would take that as invitation to disturb me? Something crackled in the air, a familiar jolt of electricity that made me simultaneously excited and nervous. A waft of delicious and distinctive cologne wafted into my nostrils. My book was riveting, I was in the middle of a sizzling sexy couple of pages where the hero was doing the most unspeakable things to the heroine yet while I was still staring at the page, pushing gorgeous gooey chips into my mouth, the words blurred and swam. I felt suddenly dyslexic, familiar shapes and words unfamiliar.

"I'm not interested," I snapped, suddenly unable to cope with the anticipatory silence. "I'm eating and reading, two of my favourite things in the world, so unless someone important to me has died, fuck off and come back later." I was dying to look at him, to check that it really was green eyes but I wouldn't let myself. Pride and a little fear kept me studiously engaged.

"Miss Swan," said a caramel smooth voice, "I believe you actually came looking for me?"

The voice was husky and sexy, calm as well, no shouting or swearing today. I slowly put my book down and looked at him. I watched as he leaned over and picked up a napkin and then reached across and wiped my mouth and chin. I could feel the electricity sparking in my skin as though I'd had a small electric shock, he wiped and then balled the napkin up and put it in his pocket.

"Miss Swan, I'm Edward Cullen, I believe you came to my club to speak to me?" With that the cheeky bastard leaned over and pinched a clump of fries and cheese.

I wasn't quite sure what to say, surely he recognised me? I mean he'd locked me in the closet for fuck's sake. I sat back and looked at him, he really was gorgeous when he wasn't screaming into his phone at someone.

"I came to see why you were having me followed?" I might as well be honest with him; this could be my only chance to find out.

"What makes you think you are being followed and why would you think it was me?" he was still picking at my fries and I was starting to get annoyed.

Before I even really thought about it I reached across and slapped his hand away from my fries.

His face was a picture, he looked at me, then at my hand before looking at his hand which as still suspended over my fries. He went to reach for my fries again so I slapped his hand again this time the 'slap' was heard all around the diner.

"Miss Swan the first one was free," he growled in a soft, dangerous tone, "up to this moment nobody has ever managed to do that twice so I suggest you think carefully about what you do and say next." With that he picked up another handful of my fries and placed them into his mouth. Now for a second I was caught up in the moment, call me a pervert but it was almost an orgasm inducing sight watching those fries pass over his lips and disappear into his mouth and when he licked his fingertips and then his lips and smirked at me, I wasn't sure what I needed to do most, rub my thighs together to get the friction my clit desperately needed or smash his face in for being so fucking patronising.

On a good day I would have soothed my clit but this wasn't a good day, who the fuck did he think he was? Before I even registered what I was doing I stood up and pushed the sandwich and fries across the table to him, not stopping until they slid off the end and plummeted into his lap. I didn't look back as I stood up and walked out of the diner, telling the waitress at the top of my voice that he was picking up the tab seeing as he wanted my food so much. I jumped in my truck and drove off before he even made it out of the door. It was only as I was driving home that it suddenly dawned on me that once again they had managed to find me. I knew the Range Rover brigade wouldn't have had time to get out of the parking lot and follow me, so how the hell did he find me?

Later as I sat on my couch I was still wondering how he had found me. Logic told me there must have been another Range Rover I hadn't spotted but I was sure there hadn't been any following me. I was attuned to spotting them now, I would go so far as to say that I saw them before they saw me. It only left one explanation and if I proved right I would not be a happy bunny. I pulled on my boots and jacket and grabbed the flashlight from the emergency drawer my dad made me keep. I checked the batteries were ok and set off to investigate. It took me just ten minutes to find it, placed high up in the wheel arch of my truck. It was a small tracking device, the only giveaway a tiny LED light flashing on and off periodically. I was livid and was just about to pull it off before I stopped myself. I didn't want them to know I knew it was there just yet so I left it in place while I thought about it.

After a surprisingly relaxed night I was up and ready to go by 9.00am. I had two showing today, one of them was my favourite penthouse. I dressed in my usual style when I was showing wealthy clients, my silk underwear, my navy blue wool suit and bright red lips. I picked up my case and the now fully re stocked hamper and opened my front door. There on the floor was a huge bouquet of fresh flowers, a large travel cup of what I presumed was coffee, and a basket of muffins and croissants. I looked for a card but there wasn't one so I picked up the flowers and the pastries, both I could use today, and left the coffee where it was. As I struggled into my truck I looked around for the Range Rover brigade but I couldn't see one which was strange as the coffee was still hot so they couldn't be too far away. I drove a couple of blocks up and pulled over in front of the building. Still no sign of my tail so I quickly reached under the wheel arch and pulled the tracking device off the metal. It was only a small magnet that kept it in place so once I'd broken the hold it came off quite easily. I looked around for something to attach it to and the perfect vehicle was parked across the road in the parking lot. I moved quickly, making my way to the vehicle and after a quick check to make sure no one was watching I made out I'd lost my shoe, bending down by the wheel arch. The device quickly clamped onto its new home and I went back to my truck. As the refuge lorry moved off I couldn't help but wonder how long it would take the man mountain to realise he was following a refuge lorry around the district.

My first showing was another success; it was a lovely apartment in a good neighbourhood. I really should have taken it myself but I just wasn't ready to stay put in one place just yet, I liked the freedom of being able to move when I felt like it and I did frequently, staying six months or so before I found something else I loved more. I'd been where I was for about 10 moths so I knew I was going to get itchy feet soon. I finished up with the couple buying this apartment and did the preliminary paperwork with them. The husband popped out to get coffees and they happily tucked in to the basket of muffins and pastries from this morning. I really should have thrown them out, they could have had anything in them but I had a good idea who they were from. I handed over the bouquet to the wife and told them I'd be in touch as soon as I could with more details.

As I walked back to the truck I wasn't really surprised to see a black Range Rover parked across the street. I wondered if there was another device on the car but I suppose they would have had a signal to follow me here before wondering what the hell was happening, the signal moving slowly down the street as my truck stayed parked up. I waved at the driver behind the heavily tinted windows and drove to my second appointment, my favourite penthouse. I was going to be early but I didn't mind. I could pick up take out on the way and eat it enjoying the view. I let myself in and placed everything on the kitchen counter. I kicked off my shoes and as soon as my toes sunk into the luxurious carpet I felt like I was home. Every time I came here the feeling got stronger. I belonged here, this was meant to be my home. I knew I couldn't find anywhere else to move to because I wanted to live here.

"Yeah in another life," I said out loud to no one in particular. I made my way back to the kitchen and ate my sandwich and finished off the drink. After a quick bathroom break, touching up my lippy and straightening my clothes I was ready to get back to selling my dream home to someone else. As the entry system buzzed, Alfie informed me my appointment was on the way up. I slipped on my shoes and walked over to the windows to take what could be my last look at the city from this angle, if I sold it today I would never be able to come here again.

"Miss Swan, how nice to see you again". There was no mistaking that voice.

"What the hell are you doing here," I put one hand on my hip, "again…"

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Can I just say I'm amazed how many of you were upset about the destruction of the antiques I really didn't see that coming. You also wanted to see a reaction from Tanya, it will come later so hang in there.

Thank you to Ladyletters for making this amazing as ever.


	7. Chapter 7

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter seven

No copyright infringement meant, I know SM owns the characters, but the plot is mine

EPOV on chapter 6

I knew there would be a huge shit storm about the removals van, but why the hell should I care? I'm a million dollars richer, thanks to the detailed inventory of what was on board as well as Emmett's skill at making it look like an accident. I'm sure the fact that we had to lean on the Insurance adjuster at little also helped, but if he wanted to play with the big boys at poker, he needed to be able to cover his stake.

Tanya was now penniless, homeless, antique-less and for the most part clothes-less and I couldn't be happier. She was back living with her parents. I had heard through the grapevine that her father was not happy about how his little princess had been treated. Well, if he asked me, and I was pretty sure the fucker was too scared to raise the issue, if he asked me that whore should have thought about the family reputation before she brought her little fuck toy into my home.

Jasper had called me yesterday to let me know that the new security camera had caught everything. I had the footage emailed over to me and it was lucky that it was electronic rather than old fashioned VHS as it would have been worn out by now as a I sat laughing, watching the bitch's face over and over as the official handed her the envelope and stated she had been served.

The quality was of the recording was excellent. I pressed play for the forty second time, watching the colour drain from her face as she opened the envelope and realised what the papers were. I laughed out loud as she started to scream still stood in the foyer of our home. Her screams had alerted the staff and I watched as Mrs Cope the housekeeper came running to see what was happening.

As ever Tanya was her usual ignorant self, never even acknowledging Mrs Cope. That bitch always treated the staff like shit. Once Mrs Cope saw Tanya wasn't actually being attacked she returned to her duties, leaving the bitch shouting and screaming. The language that Tanya was using surprised even me. I knew she wasn't the lady she tried to portray to the outside world, but her language would have made a sailor blush. The first few times I had compulsively wound the recording back however this time I let it run. I could tell when she started to get a hold of herself and start to plan. She sent several text messages and I made a mental note to ask Paul to see if he could hack her phone and find out who she turned to. I would be interested to know who was helping her now Hunter was out of the way.

"Yes?" It was the internal ring-tone and I picked the phone up in milliseconds.

"Sorry to disturb you sir," came a calm, apologetic voice, "but there is a young lady at the front door asking for you by name and thought that I had better check if you wanted to see her?"

I minimised the recording of Tanya and toggled to the live club cameras, flicking through the screens until I could see the door. It was Isabella. I couldn't see her face as her head was hovering next to the intercom but I recognised the proud way that she held herself and the soft dark waves of hair that cascaded down her back. My heart started to beat a little faster in my chest. I was secretly pleased that she had tracked me down. The girl had balls coming here, I had to hand it to her. I knew that she couldn't see me.

"Sir," said the voice, "a little more urgently. "A black Daimler has just pulled into the parking lot."

"Shit" Shit", just what I need. Part of me wanted to let her in, but I really didn't want our next meeting to be here, not with other people around and half naked women parading the hallways. I needed our meeting to be on neutral ground so I could talk to her without distraction. She deserved that much.

"Tell her I'm not here, but get her to leave a message." I told the voice.

For a second I wondered if she would try and find another way in as she didn't seem the type to give up easily. I switched on the audio and listened as she tried to get in, finally asking for me by name. She was so beautiful, I almost reached out and stroked the screen before I checked myself. "What the fuck," I said out loud to no one. Mob bosses did not get sentimental.

I was waiting for her to walk away, unable to shut down the feed from the camera until she was out of sight, but instead I was distracted by my cell phone ringing.

"Yes" I screamed because I knew what Emmett was about to say.

"Boss I'm sorry," he said. I could hear the note of panic in his voice, "we lost her. One minute she was looking at lingerie in a store, the next minute she was gone."

"You stupid fucker," I yelled, "she played you with the oldest trick in the book, led you into the lingerie department knowing you wouldn't want to look suspicious and then ran out through the nearest exit. What the fuck do I pay you for?" He didn't answer. "Five of you fuckers have one job, and you can't even manage that."

"Why are we doing this?" Emmett asked, indignantly. "She doesn't even know you exist."

"Doesn't know I exist?" I ranted. "If she doesn't know me, would you care to explain why she is stood on my doorstep trying to get entry into my club you moron?"

I looked at the screen again to see she was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit," I screamed, slamming the phone down onto my desk, "now I've lost sight of her."

My mood plummeted even further when I go a better view of the two well-dressed older men as they removed their overcoats and handed them in at the cloakroom.

I grabbed another large scotch and knocked it back in one. The burn in my throat almost made me shudder. This was usually the smoothest of all my favourites so I took it as a warning of what was to come. I straightened my tie and rolled down my sleeves, replacing the diamond cuff links before removing my jacket from the closet and putting it on. I'd just finished fastening the top button when my office door opened.

"Don't worry about knocking gents," I said, "as you can see I'm not fucking busy." My sarcasm needed to be kept in check but when it came down to it I'm the boss here.

"I'm your father Edward," came the tart retort, "I don't need to knock or listen to your fucking language and sarcasm so wind it in."

My father had retained a slim build, like me, but Edward Denali still had the look and feel of a low level enforcer, his neck the same width as his head, disappearing into broad, strong shoulders. His retirement had seen his paunch expand by a couple of inches a year. The gold chains strung around his neck and the rings of his fingers did nothing to detract from his portly exterior, sweat patches already forming under the arms of his garish shirt with the exertion of walking through the club and up the stairs.

My fingernails, freshly manicured although I would never admit it, clawed at the top of the desk. My father always brought this response out of me. I took a deep breath, after all, family is family. I would maybe have been able to let it pass and had it not been for the smug and patronising sneer on the face of the second man who followed him in, my soon to be ex father in law.

"I don't care who you are, father," I told him in a formal, clipped voice, "you will treat me with the respect my position deserves, both as the head of this family and your eldest son. Do I make myself clear?" The tone and look on my face must have been enough to make them both realise I was serious. What seriously pissed me off was the fact that I knew my father would never have let anyone speak to him like that when he was in charge, so why did he suddenly think he could do it to me?

"Now, what has bought you two gentlemen into the city on a weekday?"

I wasn't going to make this easy for them, I knew they were here to talk about Tanya. If my father was going to side with her then we would have serious problems.

"Are you not even going to acknowledge your father in law?" said the figure that I had been studiously ignoring.

I turned to glance at Edward Denali. I knew I had been named after my grandfather., Edward Denali, however, liked to tell people I was actually named after him. It was something that I had turned a blind eye to when I was married to Tanya but now that I had no reason to ignore any more.

"Mr Denali," I told him, unable to call him Edward to his face knowing how he had twisted that name to his purposes, "please take a seat."

"What the fuck?" he said. " "I'm suddenly Mr Denali after years of being Uncle Edward and more recently your father in law?" He stepped forward, luckily my desk restricted where he could actually go.

"Ed, sit down," said my father, "we need to stay calm and talk, not argue among ourselves about trivial matters."

"Carlisle," his face was turning red, "that was blatant disrespect. I will not stand here and be insulted by some …" I cut him off before he could continue, I was already pissed off and it was not going to get any better. Fuck I needed another scotch.

"Think very carefully about what you say next Mr Denali," I told him, with a fake crocodile smile that I know would piss him off more than all of the shouting and screaming in the world. "I am still the head of this family and I have information on you and your daughter that would smash your world to pieces."

With that I moved over to the cocktail tray set up on the side and pour myself a drink. I deliberately didn't offer either of them one. As the ice hit the bottom of the glass my father spoke again.

"It's a little early to be hitting the alcohol don't you think son?"

I took another deep breath, any more and my fucking lungs would probably explode. The visual of my lungs bursting out of my chest and covering the two of them bought a smile to my face. I quickly got control, wiping my face blank.

"Oh," I said, pulling my face into a confused mask, "so this visit is a father coming to see his son then? Carlisle nodded. "Not business or social?" The smile froze on Carlisle's face and his eyes flashed towards Denali for the briefest moment.

"I'm just intrigued," I continued, "as to why you have my soon to be ex father in law with you?"

"So let's cut the crap," I downed the last of my Scotch and dumped the tumbler on the desk with a clatter that made my father wince. "Why are you here?" They looked at each other and I could tell they had talked about how they were going to approach this.

"So Edward," said Denali, stepping forward as if out of a police line-up, "what can Tanya do to make this all go away and come home? She is absolutely devastated by this little tiff"

I'll give him his due, Denali kept a straight face as he lied to my face. I couldn't help but think about how much cash I'd lost to him when we were kids playing cards, the man had an incredible poker face.

I raised my eyebrows and looked at my father, he should have stopped this before it even got to my door. What the fuck was he thinking? My father at least had the decency to look away from me. I turned to look back at Denali.

"Okay tell me this," he nodded vigorously, clearly still under the delusion that there was a chance of a reunion. "What would you do if Aunt Elizabeth brought her lover into your home, flaunted him in front of the staff , knowing he had and ripped off thousands of dollars' worth of your cash?"

"It was just twenty or thirty grand," he wheedled. As soon as he said it he realised what he'd just admitted and hung his head.

"You bastard," said my father, "you never told me the bitch knew he was stealing from my son."

At this point I just sat back and let it play out. "Don't you dare call my daughter a bitch," said Denali, pointing a gold encrusted finger at my father. "If your son was looking after her she wouldn't have needed to take a lover? Why wasn't he in her bed every night ? Perhaps your son just married my beautiful daughter for cover?"

Denali left the accusation hanging, he was really pushing my buttons and if he wasn't careful Aunt Elizabeth could soon be a widow.

"Don't you fucking dare suggest my son is a faggot," said my father, in a tone I could only describe as dignity laced with an undercurrent of danger. "I hope to all that is holy he double wrapped his dick before sticking it anywhere near your daughter."

Denali stood up, pushing his chair back across the office, my father stood up to face him. I sat watching as two old men faced off in front of me.

"ENOUGH!" I shouted before things could escalate any further.

They both stopped and looked back at me.

"Sit the fuck down." I instructed them and they both did as they were told.

"Okay," I told them, "this is what is going to happen. Aunt Elizabeth will take Tanya on a cruise. I want her gone while the divorce is going through, as you know she get nothing because she was unfaithful."

"How do we know you haven't had a mistress all along?" Denali asked, although if you ask me his tone was a little desperate.

"So," said my father, jumping straight on his comment, "after calling my son a faggot now your accusing him of being unfaithful?"

They were off again, stood facing one another as the insults started to flow.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE YOU TWO SHUT THE FUCK UP!" They did stop, thank fuck. That was one geriatric fight I did not want to get in the middle of.

"I'm not talking about this anymore, get Tanya off on a very long cruise." Denali looked like he might protest until I continued. "I will put $50,000 in an account for her as a mark of respect of the friendship between our two families but that's it." Denali nodded, even he could tell that was a good deal. "I don't want to see her or hear from her ever again. If I do I will come looking for you."

He took my threat to heart, I could see that, within seconds he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Aunt Elizabeth. I could tell she tried to argue but Denali was having none of it. He had to save face and show his wife did as she was told, even if his whore daughter had no respect.

"Go downstairs and have a brandy and a cigar or something," I told my father, as Denali was on the phone, "repair your friendship and relax, I have work to do." With Denali still talking I ushered them out of the office and finally shut the door behind them.

As I finally sat back and enjoyed the peace and quiet my thoughts drifted to Isabella. Would she be the respectful, docile, obedient wife the family like to portray? I smiled, a genuine smile that went from cheek to cheek and almost split my face with potential and excitement, fuck no she would be a hell cat and I was ready for the challenge, ready for someone to share my life and bed. I was going to enjoy every minute of the chase.

I picked up my phone. Luckily it hadn't shattered when I slammed it down on the desk. I dialled Paul.

"Where is she?" A muffled voice replied. "Yes, right now. I want to find her right now."

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As ever thank you to Ladyletters for making this readable.


	8. Chapter 8

TNMC

No copyright infringement intended.

BPOV

"Miss Swan," he said, breaking into a smile. "How nice to see you again."

"What the hell are you doing here?" I couldn't stop my voice sliding towards sarcasm as I added, "again…"

"Well Miss Swan," he said, seemingly unperturbed by my annoyance. "I came to bring you my dry cleaning bill seeing as you left so abruptly at our last meeting."

With that he walked into the penthouse, pushing a piece of paper into my hand. I unfolded the paper. It really was a dry cleaning bill. I was too stunned to do anything other than stare at his back as he went and stood at my favourite spot by the window.

"This has a decidedly Déjà vu feel to it." I wanted to be sarcastic but I needed to be careful, I didn't want to cause a scene when I was expecting a client any minute. He didn't reply, just continued looking out of the window.

"You can't be here, I'm afraid," I told him in my most professional voice. "I have an appointment in ten minutes." I held the door open, the fake smile on my face as fixed as the door, willing him to take the hint and leave.

"I am your appointment," he turned his back to the window and smirked. The late afternoon sun streamed through the window, surrounding his form in a halo of soft light. "I'm Mr Hamilton." I wanted to knock that smug smile into the middle of next week.

"Fuck you Mister!" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. This was a step too far. "What is with you and your need to mess up my chances of selling this penthouse? Do you know that I could live for six months on the commission from this sale alone?" The smug smile slipped from his face. He turned slightly, putting one side of his face in shade. His face was chiselled, the hollows under his perfect cheekbones suddenly in shade, his features a perfect study of light and dark.

"Maybe I want to buy this place," he said. For a moment he looked natural, almost melancholy. A lock of hair fell across his face. He frowned unconsciously and swept it back into place, slicked back from his chiselled face. For a moment I felt for him. For a moment I wanted to reach out and mess up his hair, to help him relax, to step out of the strict life that he had created for himself. "From what I've seen," he smirked, "it's very appealing, I mean it has spectacular views, lots of space and surprisingly safe strong lockable closets."

I took a deep breath, reminding myself how much I hated people like him. If he wanted play this game I was more than ready.

"So Mr Hamilton," I said, emphasising his name to let him know that I knew it wasn't his real name, "if you are seriously interested I could give you the spiel. Are you interested in the square meterage, the maintenance costs, the service charge, the number of baths and bedrooms?" I was in full flow, he was going to get everything including the number of cabinets in the kitchen and the wattage of the heated towel rails in all the bathrooms.

"Miss Swan," he said, with a smile that left me unsure whether to run after him or run away from him, "I am very interested in the bedrooms." He let that thought hang in the air for a moment. "Would you like to show me?"

Before I could answer he had turned away from me and was walking in the direction of the master bedroom, the one he had locked me in. I followed like the diligent, professional realtor I was, explaining all the different services that were available along with all the points that made this penthouse so perfect. I was in full flow, explaining all about the access to the unique roof terrace when he stopped and looked at me.

"I'll send a car to pick you up at eight o'clock tonight."

I didn't suspend the sales pitch, just carried on explaining that the facilities were available to have a hot tub installed on the roof as well as a full outdoor shower room. I was in full auto pilot mode, reciting the particulars smoothly while the other side of my brain was processing more important matters. He was waiting for me to ask about the car, I could see it on his face. He was studying me as I prattled on, extolling the virtues of solar panels and the underfloor heating in the en-suite bathroom. I considered ignoring him. I could pretend I hadn't heard him. Of course, from what I had seen of him that could just engage that foul mouth of his. That foul sexy mouth. I gulped. He opened his mouth as if to speak but before he could say a word I launched into details of the maintenance scheme for the common areas. So, now I was in a pickle. He was watching me intently, obviously ready to interrupt the next time that I took a breath. "…and the security is on the front desk twenty-four hours. Why would you need to send a car for me?" He raised his eyebrows, seemingly amused by my sudden change of subject. Perhaps he had even noticed the slight rise in my voice. "I have no plans for tonight."

"Well I'm pleased to hear that," he said smoothly. "That just changed you have plans with me. "

"I don't think so Mr…" I almost said Cullen but I wanted to keep my cards close to my chest. He didn't know I knew who he was yet. "…whatever your name actually is. I've just remembered I'm washing my hair."

It was my turn to smirk as I ran my hand over newly washed hair and adjusted my suit.

"Now," I told him, tartly. "I presume you don't actually have any interest in this property and as such you are wasting my very valuable time. Please allow me to show you out."

With that I turned away from him and walked back towards the main living area and the front door.

I could feel he was walking behind me and as ever with him I could hear the clicks as he typed furiously on his ever present phone. I expected him to put up a fight. Don't get me wrong I wasn't expecting him to beg and plead but I couldn't help be a little disappointed when he walked out of the door without a backward glance.

"It was a pleasure Mr Hamilton," I yelled after him. I hope that he couldn't hear the slight wobble in my voice. "I'm so glad you enjoyed the viewing, thank you so much for wasting my time yet again." He got into the elevator. I was just closing the door when he turned to face me, a smirk on his face and a glint in his eye. I felt my thighs tremble and my breath catch in my throat, both without any instruction from me. What really pissed me off was the fact he winked just as the elevator doors closed, too late for me to get any response in.

It took me a few seconds to gather myself and close the door completely. I was angry, stunned, turned on but most of appalled at myself for letting him get to me. The rest of the day went smoothly. I closed on another property in the afternoon then finally got home at 6.30pm ready to just fall into the bath and maybe a couple of chapters of my new reading obsession. I made a quick sandwich while my bath was running and got my supplies ready so I wouldn't have to move until the water was just too cool to sit in anymore. I had my book, sandwich, some chips, a glass of red wine and the bottle for refills I lay back in the hot water and lost myself in the wilds of Scotland in the late 1740's.

I must have dozed off at some point because a loud banging on the front door woke me with a start. My wine glass was floating in the water along with the chips. The dregs of red wine swirled in the water like blood. Luckily this wasn't the first time I'd fallen asleep in the bath and the wine glass was plastic. The door banged again and I threw the plastic glass across the room in anger, I pulled the plug, knowing I'd need a shower anyway and stepped out of the bath carefully. Whoever was banging on the door was still out there so I grabbed my fluffy robe and went to see what the emergency was.

"The fucking apartment block had better be on fire and you had better be a big buff fireman come to rescue me," I shouted as I unlocked the door and swung it open the six inches that my security chain allowed.

"What the fuck do you want?" I asked the figure that appeared in the opening. "Aren't you supposed to be one of the no contact brigade?" It was Man Mountain. I undid the chain and opened the door fully. He was stood on the threshold along with another of the Range Rover drivers.

"I'm here to collect you Ma'am." He eyed my fluffy robe and wet hair a little nervously. I glared at him and he attempted to explain his present with a plaintive bleat of "it's eight o'clock…"

"For fucks sake. How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not a Ma'am I'm just Bella?"

"And I'm Emmett," he murmured, "pleased to meet you again".

"Well Emmett," I said, filing that information away carefully so that I wouldn't forget again. "This has been just lovely but as you can see I'm not going anywhere so I really don't need collecting. "I went to shut the door but he put his foot in the way stopping it closing. I looked up at him, surprised.

"The Boss is expecting you," he said. There was a hint of impending panic to his tone. He looked at his watch. I saw his face blanche, we were obviously behind schedule.

"Sorry not interested," I told him, firmly. "I have a date with a box set and the rest of my wine, so tell him…" Hmmm, what to tell him? I shrugged internally. Not my problem. "Tell him whatever the fuck you like."

I tried to close the door again but he was blocking it.

"Really Emmett." I pointed down at his foot, "I did not expect this from you.

At this point the other guy leaned over and spoke quietly into Emmett's ear. He pointed in my direction and I could tell Emmett was thinking about what he was saying. Emmett turned to answer him and in doing so moved his foot so I quickly shut and locked the door.

"Shit!"

I leant with my back against the door listening as their conversation continued.

"Shit, shit, shit," said Emmett, the panic is his voice now palpable. "Well, do you want to go and tell the boss she wouldn't come with us?" "Call him," the other guy replied. He didn't sound as worried. "Ask him what he wants us to do."

"You had better not be ringing me with a fucking problem." My stomach flipped a little. Emmett must have had the phone on speaker for his colleague's benefit. I could hear everything that Green Eyes was saying as clearly as if he was stood outside my door. "I'm sat here on my own like some pathetic college kid waiting for his date to show up." Date? It seemed that he actually thought he had invited me out on a date.

"Sorry boss," said Emmett, apologetically. "She refused to come with me. In fact, she isn't even dressed, I think she was in the tub because she was all wet".

I looked down at myself, realising for the first time that I'd been stood in my doorway, dripping wet with just my short towelling robe on. There were water marks all over the floor and I was getting cold, I just wanted to jump in the shower and then into bed so I could relax.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Green Eyes was apoplectic. "SHE WAS IN THE TUB? TELL ME YOU HAVE JUST NOT SEEN HER NAKED? IF YOU HAVE SEEN HER NAKED I WILL BURN YOUR FUCKING EYES OUT!" I couldn't help but bite my bottom lip and close my eyes a little. There was something so raw, so visceral about the jealousy in his words. He might have been an arrogant timewaster but there was no denying his passion.

"No, no boss, shit, no, really no," Emmett was almost stammering, trying to get the conversation onto a more even footing, "she has a robe on, we didn't really see anything, honest."

I looked down and readjusted the opening of the robe, pulling the belt tighter just in case. I couldn't stand to listen to how scared Emmett was. What was it with Green eyes? Did he really need to speak to people like that? I unlocked and opened the door before I even really thought about what I was going to say. I had the phone out of Emmett's hand before he even registered my presence.

Green eyes was in full foul mouth rant mode. I wasn't really listening to the words but the rhythm was actually soothing and he enunciated very well even though he had quite a strong accent. Several different things floated through my brain at once. First, should I hang up? Second, did he talk like that to everyone? Was that his best pillow talk? I tried to shake that thought and decide what to do. He was clearly a man on the edge. I had never met anyone with so much pent up anger and frustration in them and I wondered, not for the first time, when he had last been laid, this man really needed to chill out more.

"ARE YOU FUCKING EVEN LISTENING TO ME SHIT HEAD?" He must have realised that he wasn't getting any feedback. "I ASKED YOU TWICE ALREADY WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?"

He was forcing me to make a decision and I couldn't hold back any longer.

"If you actually ever shut that foul mouth of yours and listened you would know the answer to that exact question. SHE is actually in her apartment, in her bathrobe, after being rudely interrupted and dragged from her now cold bath. So for your information SHE is now going back inside, SHE will lock the door and return to the evening SHE had planned before your goons so rudely interrupted her."

With that I hung up the phone, passed it back to Emmett, bid them both good night, shut the door and locked it. As I rested my back against the door again I finally let out a huge breath, my hands were shaking and thighs were rubbing themselves together I was angry but so turned on I knew I needed to get into the shower, the removable shower head was going to earn it's keep tonight.


	9. Chapter 9

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter 9

 **Thank you to Ladyletters for making this a joy to write.**

 **No copyright infringement meant, I know SM owns the characters.**

EPOV

This was the finest restaurant in the state, the chef had 3 Michelin stars and was world renowned. If you were anyone else there was an eighteen month waiting list for a table and as for this private room, most people didn't even know that it existed. The table was set for two, antique silverware sparkling on crisp white linen, a bottle of fine champagne on ice. I adjusted my cufflinks and straightened my tie, looking at my gold watch for the hundredth time and wondering when Isabella was going to walk through the door.

Emmett's number flashed up on my cell phone. I had it to my ear before a second ring could disturb my evening. "You had better not be ringing me with a fucking problem," I growled, "I'm sat here on my own like some pathetic fucking college kid waiting for his date to show up."

"Err sorry boss…" With those two words I knew that my night wasn't going to go the way that I had planned. "She refused to come. In fact, she isn't even dressed. I think she was in the tub because she was all wet." I felt my blood pressure rise as I first imagined my beautiful Isabella naked in the tub, an image I'd been using in my morning shower for the last week, and then contemplated the prospect that Emmett had seen her naked body.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" I screamed. I heard a gasp and the tinkle of shattering glass in the corridor outside. "SHE WAS IN THE TUB? TELL ME YOU HAVE JUST NOT SEEN HER NAKED. IF YOU HAVE SEEN HER NAKED I WILL BURN YOUR FUCKING EYES OUT."

Luckily I was in a private dining room so there were no other diners to upset, not that I gave a shit, but I wasn't in the habit of making threats out loud and in public. What on earth was she doing to me.?

I just wanted her sat here with me so we could finally have a proper conversation and a nice dinner.

"ARE YOU FUCKING EVEN LISTENING TO ME SHIT HEAD," I interrupted Emmett in his verbal gush of apologies and excuses. "I ASKED YOU TWICE ALREADY WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?"

It was a simple fucking task I'd given them, pick up Isabella and bring her to me at the restaurant. I was in such a rage it actually took me a few seconds to realise that it wasn't Emmett talking back to me, it was her.

"If you actually ever shut that foul mouth of yours and listened," the words sounded like they were being pushed out through gritted teeth, "you would know the answer to that exact question. SHE is actually in her apartment, in her bathrobe, super pissed after being disturbed by your knuckle dragging associates." I tried to interrupt but she was on a roll, running her sentences into each other with barely a breath. "So for your information SHE is now going back inside, SHE will lock the door and return to the evening SHE had planned before you so rudely interrupted her."

With that she hung up. I was sat looking at my phone as the lock screen appeared indicating that the call had ended. I didn't know whether to be angry that she had spoken to me like that or aroused at hearing the passion in her voice or by hearing her accent slip a little to give away roots in the North West. She always seemed so calm, collected and in control. It was quite something when her temper broke through that reserve. My cock stiffened a little, wondering if that passion would translate into the bedroom.

I quickly rung Emmett back

"Where are you right now?" I barked, before he could start with his sniffling platitudes again.

"Boss we are just leaving her apartment block, she really was in the bath and I could see over her head into the apartment, there was no sign of anyone else in there." I grunted an acknowledgement. Encouraged, he continued. "I checked with Quil, he's sat outside and no one new has been anywhere near the building tonight. You know from checking out the rest of the residents in the apartment block she isn't dating anyone who lives there so she is definitely alone, just like she told you."

For once my brother was the voice of calm and reason. I threw $1,000 dollars onto the table to cover the untouched champagne and the two thirty-year-old Scotches that I had drunk while waiting on her. I opened the door to find a small, terrified looking waitress poised to knock. From the way she looked at me I guessed that it had been her who had smashed something when I shouted. I smiled, although it made her eyes open even wider, then handed her a fifty and thanked her for her assistance. As I sat in the Range Rover and Seth drove me home I knew I would have to rethink my strategy for Miss Swan. If she wanted to play hard to get, she was playing with the wrong person. I always get what I want.

I needed a female insight and who better than my sister. I called her cell phone before I talked myself out of it. I was opening a whole new chapter of pain when Alice realised what I needed.

"Alice," I asked her, impatiently, "what does Jasper buy you after you have had an argument or he needs to get back into your good books?"

"Well good evening to you brother," she said, slowly enough that she knew it would annoy me, "this is a pleasant surprise. How are you? It's been ages since you called me, what's going on in your life at the moment?"

"What bits do you know Alice," I interjected, hoping that Jasper hadn't betrayed my trust, "and what bits do you need filling in?"

"Well," she said, thoughtfully, "I know Tanya is back living at home with her parents and I know Mom and Dad have been arguing because Dad thinks you shouldn't be divorced while Mom thinks good riddance to the tramp… So? What happened?"

I felt bad for a moment for doubting Whitlock, if he could keep anything from my rather observant sister he was a better man than me. As for mom, I had a sudden urge to send her some flowers. I might be head of the family now but it still felt good to have her in my corner. "She was unfaithful so I threw her out," I told her, trying to stick to the facts. "I am divorcing her."

"Yes," Alice made the sort of noise that would usually accompany a celebratory fist pump, "thank goodness for that. I fucking hate that cold calculating bitch. She's a money grabbing gold digger who should have never been allowed into this family."

"Wow Alice," I was a little shocked, I didn't normally hear my little sister speaking like that, "don't hold back. Speak your mind why don't you." What is it with the women in my life?

"Wait just a minute," she said, sounding like an extra in a Scooby doo movie, "if you're getting divorced why do you want to know about presents? You're not trying to get the slapper back are you?"

Oh fuck I really hadn't thought this through…

"Err no," I backtracked unconvincingly. "I just wondered what sort of gifts Jasper sends you, that's all."

"You've met someone haven't you?" She didn't even wait for me to respond. "Oh shit this is big! Who is she? Do I know her?" She gasped and I wondered for a moment whether something had happened on her side of the phone but she was still on a roll. "She isn't another Tanya clone is she? She sounded genuinely distressed. "Please tell me it's someone outside the circle and away from the shit you deal with every day? When can I meet her? What is she called...?"

Her voice tailed off. A scrabbling sound and intermittent muffled noises suggested a struggle over the handset.

"Edward," it was Jasper, barely holding back the mirth in his voice, "in future please ask me questions like that, you have just opened a can of worms I'm never going to hear the fucking end of."

He was laughing and I could tell from the background noise that Alice was still asking him questions while bouncing around like an excited puppy trying to get the phone back of him. The image in my mind of them 'happily fighting' caused a wave of loneliness to engulf me and in that moment I didn't want to go home alone. For the first time in a very long time I decided I needed to get laid. I needed a female body.

"Seth," I barked, after saying my goodbyes to Alice and Jasper, "take me to Volterra."

"Boss," he nodded as he quickly changed direction.

Volterra was the classiest of the clubs I owned that provided 'extras'. It wasn't the sort of place we allowed stag parties into but the ladies and gentlemen that frequented the place were offered an alternative service once the club manager was happy they were regulars and had had a full background check. Several of the waiters and waitresses were available for a variety of different services. I had never indulged before, but I was tired of being alone, I was tired of my own right hand and I wanted to feel someone else's skin against mine.

"Mr Cullen, sir," Ben, the club manager, rushed forward and shook my hand. "It's not often we get a visit during opening hours. To what do we owe this pleasure?" "I just came to see how business was Ben," I smiled. I wanted him on side, comfortable that I was here in the capacity as a punter rather than his boss. "It's one thing seeing the books regularly, it's another altogether to see the place in action for myself."

He took my coat and showed me to a VIP booth. In moments a bottle of my favourite scotch, a crystal glass and ice bucket were placed in front of and I sat back to watch the show. The dancers were excellent; it was a cross between the Moulin Rouge meets an up-market lap dancing club. As I watched I scanned the clientele, my brain logging everyone in there, what they were drinking and who they were talking to. I could see several prominent business men, a couple of high grade council officials, an out of town police chief and a couple of guys from the governor's office. I sighed, rolled up my shirt sleeves and loosened my tie. I just wanted to be a client tonight, it was so hard to switch off from seeing everything and always being on guard.

"Do you need anything else Sir?" From her voice I could tell she wasn't enquiring if I need soda to go with my scotch.

"Irina isn't it?" I smiled at her, trying to put her at ease, although I knew that it wasn't reaching my eyes.

"Yes sir." She flushed a little and I wondered if she was new or if she just knew who I was.

"Well Irina I think I will have something extra, what is available tonight?"

The shock on her face gave away the fact she didn't know what to offer me, she stammered before she finally found her voice.

"Whatever you need Sir," her voice trembled, "I can take care of anything you need or if you need something special Gianna or Mike are available to cater to you."

She was offering me a man, normally I would have exploded but I knew she was only doing her job, this place catered for all needs and there was no judgement. Mike dealt with the females who wanted a man as well as the men who came here for something they didn't want to go to a gay bar for.

"You'll do fine Irina," I told her, briskly, "I'll meet you in room one, make sure it's available."

I chose that room because I knew the others had cameras set up, for my employees safety of course.

I watched as she quickly made her way over to Ben and whispered in his ear, they both turned and looked at me before she quietly made her way behind the bar to check on the room.

As I watched them the flicker of arousal died, What the fuck was I thinking, fucking one of my staff was a no no, a big no no that could cause umpteen problems. I finished my drink in one mouthful.

"Thank you Ben," I said smoothly, "I found Irina very amenable. Keep up the good work." He watched me as I walked out of the club without speaking to anyone.

"Where to Boss?" Seth enquired as he put down a book and took an ear bud out of his ear, clearly surprised to see me so soon.

"Home."

"Home?" He grimaced a little. "As in your house or the apartment at the club?"

Shit, I didn't even have a home anymore, what the fuck was wrong with my life?

"The house," I told him. It was time to change things.

It was the first time I'd been back since Tanya had moved out. I 'd sent a cleaning firm in to make sure everything was okay and on the surface it looked as though Tanya had gone without causing any problems. I'd thought long and hard about that and with only having twenty-four hours' notice to get out, I presumed she had spent most of that time packing her antiques, clothes and personal belongings.

As Seth dropped me at the front door I realised I didn't even know if all the security was still in place. I turned to look at Seth and he nodded. "Eric is on the premises manning the camera room, his shift will end at 0800 when John will take over."

I thanked him for the info and as I went to push the door I heard the lock disengage. This was all new, I'd started the installation as soon as I suspected Tanya was cheating, she had no idea I was putting cameras in the house so her and James were caught the first time they used the house.

It was strange being home. I made my way through the barely furnished house, what Tanya hadn't packed into the van was covered with dust sheets, it made the place eerie. She hadn't had a key to my suite of rooms and a quick check of the lock confirmed she hadn't tried to tamper with it. I relaxed when I saw that nothing in here had been touched. It was sad really, this was a huge house and I was living in a handful of rooms that I had reclaimed for myself from that bitch.

I had a long shower and slipped into some comfortable sweats. As I got comfortable on my bed I opened my laptop and started shopping. If Miss Swan was going to be difficult I was going to wear he down the old fashioned way; with gifts.

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I can't believe how many of you have reviewed so far, I've tried to reply to all of you, if I've missed you I'm sorry but I do read everyone. Hope you enjoy xx


	10. Chapter 10

The next Mrs Cullen

Chapter 10

No copyright infringement meant.

BPOV

The day didn't start any differently to a normal day off. I sat at the breakfast bar, drinking my coffee and looking at the news on my laptop. After a while I made breakfast, toast and eggs, all totally normal. My thoughts, however, kept straying to Emmett. I couldn't help but wonder if green eyes had given him a hard time last night. I'm no pushover but I'd hate to be the cause of getting someone into trouble.

"Who are you kidding?" I said to my piece of toast.

Shit, I thought to myself, I'm talking to myself now. If I start answering myself we really are in trouble. With no appointments booked I was planning to go to the gym, clean the apartment, catch up on paying some bills and if they were free see if the girls fancied lunch somewhere. I sent a group text to see who was available and jumped in the shower.

As I checked my gym bag my phone pinged with messages. Jess and Angela were okay for lunch. The others couldn't get away, so after a flurry of message we finally decided on 1.00pm at my favourite diner.

As I opened my front door, I almost stepped on another delivery. It appeared the same as the one before, a bouquet of flowers, a large take away coffee and a bag of pastries from a nearby bakery. Again, no note, but seeing as I'd let green eyes down last night, I had a strong suspicion where these had come from. Well, if he thought I could be swayed with gifts he was going to be sorely disappointed. I left everything where it was and went to the gym.

My workout was not productive or satisfying. As well as Emmett popping up every couple of minutes, probably to check that I hadn't made a run for it, I just couldn't find my rhythm. I decided to give up when I tripped on the treadmill and only just stopped myself from face planting. There was a yoga class starting in the dance studio which I thought would be a good opportunity to relax. However, the eggs I 'd eaten seemed desperate to make a reappearance in the form of gas so I spent the whole session clenching my butt instead of concentrating on saluting the sun or planking. The third time I saw one of the RR brigade look through the window to make sure I was still there I gave up and went to get changed. As I showered and finally let out the gas any high school jock would have been proud of, I decided what to do with the rest of my day. I had a couple of hours before I needed to meet the girls so I decided to go back home to sort out the bills and at least attempt to do some cleaning.

"Good morning Miss Swan," a new face, a man in a navy uniform, greeted me as I walked into my building. "We haven't met yet. I'm Alex." I nodded, slightly confused, which he took as encouragement to continue. "Today is my first day, I just wanted to let you know I 'll be around now most days and if I'm not here someone else will be."

"I didn't realise we were having security staff," I smiled at him, trying to work out how he knew my name, "when was this agreed?"

His face faltered for a split second and I saw his pupil move to the side as he recalled what he was supposed to say. I know the classic signs of body language, you have to in my game, I need to read what people aren't telling me.

"Erm…It was just decided this week," he recovered after a moment of fluster and delivered his line smoothly, "the building management have decided to up security in the building."

Well, I thought, if that's true it means my service charge will probably be going up. Maybe it was time on move after all.

"Thank you, Alex," I told him, "I hope you enjoy your new job."

"Oh, wait," he said, rummaging behind his little desk, "this was dropped off for you this morning, I had to sign for it."

He handed me a small turquoise gift bag and inside I could see a thin box, it was also turquoise and had a white ribbon tied around it.

"Who delivered this?" I asked. I recognised the trademark colour and the white ribbon, what girl wouldn't? My heart started to beat a little faster in my chest. This was a big step up from pastries and flowers.

"Sorry Ma'am I didn't get a name, it was just a courier".

I could tell he was lying, he couldn't look at me and the fact he'd call me Ma'am gave me a good idea that Emmett had been around.

I went up to my apartment and opened the door, it was only as I walked across the threshold that I realised the mat was empty, everything I'd left there this morning had gone. Maybe security was a good thing, I didn't like the idea of people wandering up to my front door at will.

I dropped my gym bag and purse on the floor and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. As I sat at the breakfast bar I opened the gift bag and took out the thin box. I knew from the colour where it was from, but actually seeing the name stamped on the box made me drop the box back into the bag.

"Who the fuck," I asked out loud, "would send me something from Tiffany?"

Rhetorical question I know, it had to be Green eyes. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and grabbed the box again, this time managing to untie the ribbon and actually take the lid off. As soon as I saw it I bust out laughing, probably not the reaction he was hoping for, but I hoped it meant he had a sense of humour under all that anger and frustration.

I quickly found the Tiffany website and looked up the piece in front of me. I was part of the Victoria line, a key pendant in platinum with diamonds, set on an 18-inch chain. It was beautiful, absolutely beautiful, but not something I would ever wear or accept. The price tag alone would have paid my rent for months. I would need Emmett and his crew following me around just to make sure that I wasn't mugged wearing jewellery like that. I wrapped it back up and tried to decide where to put it to keep it safe until I could return it. I put it in my nightstand, then got it back out again. I wrapped it tight in a plastic bag then put it at the back of my bathroom cabinet. But, after five minutes I got it back out again. Just having something this expensive in my apartment was freaking me out. Eventually, after another cup of coffee I decided that the ice box was probably that last place an intruder would look. I wrapped the gift bag in the plastic bag again and put it behind my emergency stash of Ben & Jerrys.

Lunch was fun, we had a good catch up and lots of giggles as Angela filled us in on the one night stand she picked up at the weekend and Jess moaned that she wasn't getting anything lately. I thought of my uptight green-eyed man and wondered again about his foul mouth and how dirty his pillow talk might be.

"Where'd you go?" Angela asked as she waved her hand in front of my face. I blushed, I don't know why, but for the first time in years I blushed just like I did in high school.

"Shit girl," said Jess, a huge smile breaking over her face, "what have you been doing?" She waited for a moment but I couldn't think of anything to say. Where could I even start? A hot guy locked me in closet, then got his brother to follow me, then sent me jewellery, the cost of which could have bought a small car. "Spill! "Jess obviously wasn't going to let it go.

I looked at Jess and laughed. It sounded like a fake laugh, even to me. "Nothing, I was just thinking about a guy I thought I was selling a property to, he…" I just stopped. I couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound completely ludicrous. "Never mind it's not important." I waved them off and changed the subject.

Luckily both of them just gave each other a look and changed the subject. I knew they would return to it at some later date. Eventually they had to go back to work so I made my way home. I was tempted to go and visit my favourite penthouse, but like the addict I knew I was becoming I knew I had to start weaning myself off the place. It would sell soon and then I'd have to go cold turkey.

Alex was standing by the door as I approached. I could see he was talking on his phone but hung up as soon as he saw me. He opened the door for me and looked down at my hands "No bags today Miss Swan?" I shook my head and waved my empty hands at him. At least Miss Swan was better than Ma'am.

"I have another delivery for you," he trilled, "somebody is very popular today." He handed me a gift bag in the same distinctive turquoise and white livery of the delivery this morning.

I held it out in front of me like it was emitting a bad smell and walked up to my apartment. I half expected Alex to follow me so he could make sure I got to the door, but as I turned I saw that he was already on the phone to someone.

I dropped the bag on the breakfast bar and sat down looking at it. It was definitely another gift from Tiffany's, the size of the box inside indicated a pair of earrings or maybe a ring. I reached in and took the box out and opened it without stopping. Inside was a pair of diamond earrings from the same range as the key pendant. I had to admit they were beautiful, dainty but large enough to show you had nearly a whole carat of diamonds in each ear. What green eyes had missed was that my ears weren't pierced, so they were of no use to me. I admit for a split second I did think about going to the store and getting my ears pierced so I could wear them but…

I stashed them behind the Ben & Jerry's and put a stool in front of the door just in case.

"What the fuck Bella?" I looked at my makeshift safe, "Is the stool in case somebody breaks in to steal them or in case the earrings try to escape?"

I was talking to the wall now, a sure sign I was losing he plot.

I spent the rest of the day cleaning the apartment, changing my bedding and scrubbing the shower. Anything that stopped me looking at the icebox and checking that the 3 carats of diamonds were still there.

Finally, after triple checking the doors and the windows I was able to relax a little. I settled down with my latest box set and a glass of wine and before the episode was even half way through I was fast asleep.

When I woke the next morning, it took me a few minutes to remember why I was on the couch and dressed in my comfy house clothes instead of in my bed in my pyjamas. I'd slept later than normal so it was a bit of a rush to get through my routine and out of the door. As I opened the front door I automatically looked down. I could have done with the coffee and pastries this morning, but the corridor was empty this morning. There were a few scattered petals and what looked like a hastily wiped up spill, but that could have been from yesterday. I hurried to my car waving at Alex as I rushed out, he was waving trying to get my attention but I didn't have time as I had an appointment across town. The apartment was in a nice block. It was clean, neat and tidy, a little on the small side but for a single person it was ideal. My appointment was a Mr Jarvis. Young guys usually used first name and surname, it was the older guys who used Mr so I suspected that he might not be a first-time buyer, perhaps a business man looking to buy rental property. It did cross my mind that it could be another pseudonym for green eyes but I shut down that straight away. Not only did I not want to think about him, I didn't want to worry about the jewellery that was now inside the nearly empty tub of ice cream just in case somebody did look in the freezer.

The knock on the door was bang on time. I pasted on my most welcoming smile and opened it to a tall, well-built guy with blue eyes, probably in his late twenties. He was dressed casually, if I had to be critical a little too casually, the hood of his hoodie up, a cap on underneath the hood, sweats and trainers. The show around was quick and uneventful, he asked a few questions but it felt like a charade and it was obvious that the level of interest was not there.

"So, Mr Jarvis," I said, brightly, "do you have many other properties to look at?"

"No Bella I don't," the hair on the back of my neck started to prickle. I hadn't even told him my first name, let alone the nickname that only my close friends use. "Do you have anything else you could show me?"

"Not at the moment in this price bracket," I smiled, knowing it didn't reach my eyes. I had my purse over my shoulder and I reached a hand in, discreetly feeling for the end of the pepper spray. "I can call you if anything else comes up."

"Why don't you do that," he smiled, laughter lines crinkling around his blue eyes. For a moment, I wondered if I was over-reacting. "We could meet up for coffee and pastries and discuss where I'm going to live. "Daddy always taught me to trust my gut and right now I just wanted this man out of this apartment.

"I'll do that Mr Jarvis, I'll be in touch as soon as I can." I opened the door and stood back so he could leave. My fingers still touched the top of the pepper spray. I was wondering how quickly I could get it out when he stepped compliantly over the threshold

"You do eat pastries don't you," he said, looking back over his shoulder with an odd expression on his face, "you aren't one of those women who lives on lettuce and water are you?" His eyes swept over me, assessing my figure and I felt sick as his gaze lingered on my boobs.

"Thank you Mr Jarvis I'll be in touch," with that I slammed the door shut, forcing him to lurch forward so the door didn't hit him on the back. I engaged the lock and stood with my full weight against the door, any pretence at professionalism leaking away with my momentary bravery.

"Shit," I told myself, "there are some loony people out there." The creepiness of the situation finally got to me and I laughed out loud. The noise felt strange and alien but I kept laughing, somehow knowing that if I stopped tears would replace it.

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Please take a quick look at the Tiffany website, there really is a range called Victoria and one of the principal pieces is the key pendant on a chain. It is absolutely stunning.


	11. Chapter 11

The next Mrs Cullen

Chapter eleven

No copyright infringement meant, I know Mrs M owns them.

Emmett POV

"Come on Jasper, give me a break here," I moaned, not amused by my brother in-law's attitude. "How the fuck do I tell him someone else is leaving her gifts?"

"Not my problem Emmett," said Jasper, with a tone of voice that made me think that he might be smirking on the other end of the phone. "Just tell him. The sooner he knows the better. I don't need to tell you what could happen if he finds out from someone else."

"Some help you are, brother," I grumbled. I had hoped that telling Jasper would halve the responsibility of telling Edward.

"I'm not your brother," he told me. "I'm your brother in law by marriage only, so technically no relation at all in the eyes of the law." I could hear the humour in his voice, the fucker was enjoying my discomfort.

"Bull shit and I'm going to tell Alice you said that," that should bring him in line.

"Look Em," this time he did actually sound sympathetic, "just tell him, he needs to know."

"I know, I just need to work up to it." I snorted. "It's not like I can wait to catch him in a good mood or anything is it?"

I could hear jasper chuckling on the other end of the line, it broke the tension and I couldn't help but laugh myself.

"I'll go over there later and tell him," I had resigned myself to whatever fate might befall me after letting him know the bad news. "I just need to go and check on her again, she seems to be determined to injure herself and I really don't want to have to also explain to him that she got hurt at the gym when a machine attacked her."

Jasper let out a bark of a laughter before hanging up. I needed to get over and brief Alex about whoever was leaving the coffee and pastries and drop off the next package for Bella with him.

As I looked at the turquoise gift bag I couldn't help but think that Edward had this all wrong. Bella just didn't seem to be the sort of girl who could be swayed by diamonds. Alice maybe, Tanya definitely, my Rosie no way. That girl would rather have my time than my money, she had proved that over and over. As I watched Bella go about her business I had the feeling that for once Edward was approaching this all wrong.

I made sure one last time that Bella was still in the gym and in one piece before I turned her protection detail over to Quil. I made my way over to her apartment building and checked in with Alex.

"What have you done with the coffee and pastries he left?" I asked him.

"Here," he pointed under the newly installed security desk. Miss Swan had no idea just how much effort was being put into making sure she was safe. He took the pastel paper bag out and sat it gently on the desk.

"Is this bakery local?" I asked Alex, looking at the delicate fleur de lis design on the side the bag. Inside there were two chocolate covered strawberries in a little clear box, a croissant and a chocolate muffin.

"I googled it," said Alex, way ahead of me. "It's about three blocks from here."

"The coffee looks as though it's from across the street but the flowers I'm not so sure about," he said, clearly annoyed that he couldn't be more specific, "there isn't a card and the wrapping is just the clear cellophane so I can't even trace them through it." Alex was so much more than a security guard, he was ex special forces with a classified history and an experienced personal bodyguard, highly sought after. He had already 'questioned' the night guard who had let the mystery guy in minutes before the shift change over. The mystery present leaver was either very lucky with his timing or very organised to make sure he missed Alex coming on shift. I was hoping for the first option as the second one didn't bode well for anyone.

"I'll make sure I'm here a couple of hours earlier in the morning" he said, cracking his knuckles absent-mindedly. "I want to be here if the fucker turns up again and I need to make sure the new night guy is a bit more switched on."

"Good idea," I told him. I looked at my watch. "I'll be back later. I'm going to go and check out the bakery.

The visit was a waste of time really, the idiot behind the counter was no help at all and when I asked to look at the CCTV he just shrugged and informed me they were dummy cameras. I tried to gently jog his memory, I used my 'mean face' as Rosie calls it, but it frightened him so much he almost forgot his own name.

I spent the rest of my morning following the directions on google maps to all the local florists but I soon realised that asking them if a guy had bought a bunch of flowers early this morning or late last night wasn't really a good enough description to make sense. One lady suggested I take a photo of the bouquet, apparently a florist would recognise their own work. Flowers are flowers for fucks sake, how difficult could it be? It had to one of these shops though, this guy was local, I could feel it.

I made my way back to Bella's block and Alex was waiting for me, she'd already come home from the gym then left again so her apartment was empty.

"I'm just going to go and check upstairs, make sure everything is okay."

As I wandered up the stairs I noted areas that could house a camera easily and places where we would need to do some alterations. If by some miracle Edward did manage to woo her with these glittery baubles she would need a lot of protection, particularly when they went public. If she didn't move into his mansion straight away it would be easier if Edward bought the building, we could do what we needed then. I made a mental note to suggest that very thing later when I had the wonderful task of telling him about the mystery admirer.

As I stood outside her door I tested the strength of locks, they were okay but nothing I couldn't get past. I pressed the timer on my watch and checked 12 seconds later as I finished picking the locks and walked across the threshold into her apartment. Slow for me, maybe they were a little better than I'd originally thought. A quick check and everything seemed to be in order, the only thing that caught my eye was that the freezer door wasn't shut properly, I wandered across to see if the hinge was broken. I could arrange to have that fixed without her even knowing. The door opened smoothly, no problem, so why hadn't she shut the door? I looked at the contents but nothing seemed unusual, I checked the top shelf smiling when I noticed the stash of ice cream, typical women. I picked up the carton to see if she was as bad as my Rosie for the strange flavours when I noticed the gift bag.

I nearly wet myself laughing, I knew diamonds were sometimes referred to as ice but this woman had upwards of $18k in the freezer. Where was she going to hide the next box that I had just left with Alex? I knew I was right about her, Edward really was doing this all wrong. I replaced everything as I 'd found it, and let myself out, it was time to meet my Rosie and then I was going to talk to Edward.

"Hi my sweet Emmy bear," Rosalie screamed as she jumped into my arms. "How are you today?" We had agreed to meet at the lunch truck around the corner from the club, she only got 45 minutes break as she was running lunch service today in the private dining room.

"I've missed you baby," she said, smacking an affectionate little kiss on the bottom of my chin. "I thought you were coming over last night?" Luckily, she wasn't a whiney type, she understood my job and what it entailed

"I know sweet pea," I told her, kissing the top of her head before gently lowering her to the ground. "I just got caught up in something so I just crashed on the couch in Edward's office."

"When are you going to ask that tight ass for a raise and more time off," she asked me. "I never get to see you." She sighed, theatrically. "I can't even remember the last time we had a whole evening to ourselves, you know, dinner, candles, a long hot bath and then some sexy times. I'm starting to think you just want to screw me at work so we can keep getting caught."

"Trust me sweet pea," I put my arm around her as we stood side by side reading todays specials on the food truck menu. "I would love nothing more than to just wake up in your arms but I really can't see that happening anytime soon. Isabella is my priority at the moment" I pushed her against the side of the van and kissed her hard, I loved her big fat squashy lips, they were equally good whether I was kissing them or they were wrapped around my dick.

"It's a good job I know how much you love me," she said, her voice husky with lust, "or I could get seriously mad that you just admitted another female is your priority." She raised her eyebrows at me and laughed. My beautiful Rosie, I loved her so much it hurt to be away from her but just lately it seemed I was always being pulled in several different directions, all of them away from her.

"I wish things were different Rosie," I told her. "I'd love a normal job, one where I could come home to you at night. Even better I'd love something we could do together, you know, me and you against the world and when we had had enough we packed up and moved on."

"I'd love that too Emmy bear," she pushed me away lightly yet the tone of regret in her voice was heavy, "but you're a Cullen and you were born into this life, you don't get the chance to choose it or not."

"I know but …"

"Don't Emmett," she said. "It will work out I know it will, we will be together for ever, we'll watch our children and grandchildren grow, I knew that deep in here." She took my hand and pressed it against her heart.

I knew I had to speak to Edward about being with her, he needed to understand how much she meant to me. There had to be a way to make it work.

We managed 27 minutes together before my phone rang.

"Boss," barked the voice at the other end, "it's Quil. She's left the diner and is on her way home."

I confirmed his exact location and told him I'd meet him and take over the surveillance.

"You have to go already?" Rosie said as I stood up from the picnic bench and threw my lunch wrapping in the bin. This truck certainly could deliver a mean Burrito.

"Afraid so sweet pea," I pulled her into a brief embrace. "I'll see you late tonight okay? No matter what happens I'm coming over."

"Promise?"

"Promise," I grinned and kissed her. "I always keep them, you know that." I jumped in the Range Rover. Time so see what Miss Swan was up to and try to figure out who the mystery present leaver was.

"All quiet here Boss," said Quil. He looked at his watch. "I'm starving, I'm going to go and get something, you want anything?"

I nodded and sat watching as he walked towards the deli down the block, my phone rang just as he disappeared inside.

"EMMETT," no surprises who the raised voice belonged to, "where the fuck are you?"

"You know where I am, I'm with Isabella." He put me on this detail, where did he expect me to be? I looked at the screen just in case he had face timed me and I hadn't realised.

"NO shit head I mean where in this glorious city are you? What is she doing? Who is she with?"

"Wow Edward calm down, take a breath, she's just back from the diner after having lunch with two girlfriends."

I heard him take a deep breath, shit he needed to chill out before he keeled over. Our uncle Roberto had dropped dead from a heart attack in his early fifties and I could see Edward going the same away.

"Jasper says you have something to tell me?"

"I do, but it can wait until I get back to the office." Bloody Jasper, wouldn't help me out in telling Edward but quite happy to throw me into the firing line.

"I think I'll be the judge of that," he spat, "now what the fuck is it?"

"Boss…" I couldn't do it over the phone. "Edward," I continued, in as sensible a voice as I could muster. "As your brother please believe me, this is better coming from me personally. I'll be there as soon as Quil has had his lunch and is back watching her.""

"Fine," he huffed. "Get here as soon as you can, I hate being kept waiting." With that the line went dead.

"Well out with it," he said, before I could even close the door of his office behind me. "What is it?" "Alex called me this morning," I started. "It seems that when he got on shift, the night guy informed him that a guy had been in and asked to drop off some breakfast for his girlfriend as a surprise. He escorted him up and the guy led him to Isabella's apartment. He left a bag of pastries, a coffee and a bouquet of flowers. From what we can gather this is the second or maybe even third time he has done this. As soon as Alex heard he grabbed everything so she hasn't seen them this time, we think she saw the ones before."

He was quiet, too quiet, way too quiet.

"Who is he?" asked Edward. I could see the blood pulsing through a vein on his temple.

"At this moment we don't know," I stuck to the facts, "the night guy didn't ask and just remembers he had been over a couple of times before."

"Where is the night guy now?"

"He has been dealt with," I reassured him. "He won't be back on the desk and Alex has recruited someone he has used before so the building will be covered 24/7 now for the foreseeable future."

"TOO FUCKING RIGHT IT WILL BE," he screamed, self-control suddenly completely gone. "I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING. WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY AND WHEN AND THEN I WANT TO KNOW EVEYTHING ELSE THERE IS TO KNOW." "IN FACT, FUCK IT I'LL DO IT MYSELF, BRING THE NIGHT GUY HERE SO I CAN FIND OUT FOR MYSELF"

As I looked at my big brother I felt sorry for him, for the first time I could recall he wasn't in control and micro managing everything. He looked sad, confused, angry and lonely. It was time Bella knew just what was going on.

"Edward, he isn't in any state to be questioned at the moment, Alex had quite the 'chat' with him when he realised what had happened. Believe me if there was anything to know we would already know it."

I could see that wasn't the answer he wanted but all I could do was tell him how it was.

I left the office to the sound of smashing glass, I was sure the crystal decanter and probably the set of six Royal Doulton Crystal whisky tumblers that had been imported from England where now just a pile of crystal shards. This wasn't good for anyone, Edward, Isabella, the business and definitely not me.

I sat outside her apartment for a couple of hours but she didn't seem to be going anywhere. I'd promised Rosie, I'd be there so I decided to combine the two. She could come and keep me company until I was sure Bella wasn't going anywhere, then we could go home for some us time. Just as I reached for the phone to call her, Bella came out of the front door. I sat and waited to see if she was going for her truck or walking, but she surprised me by walking straight towards me. I wound down the window.

"Emmett," she smiled, "haven't you got anything better to do than sit out here tonight?"

"Well I think that rather depends on you and your plans," I told her, "but I am on a promise so if you could get a rush on I'd be eternally grateful."

I watched as she went through her options, she was trying to make a decision. Her face set with a determined look and she surprised me again by opening the passenger door and climbing in.

"Let's go and get something to eat, I need to ask some questions and you can answer them for me."

"Fine, where do you fancy eating?" I asked.

"Nothing expensive or posh, I want proper food and lots of it," she said as she fastened the seat belt.

I quickly turned the SUV around and made my way across town to a restaurant I loved. As we walked in Josie the manager looked up and her face dropped.

"Where is my Rosie tonight?" she asked, shooting a dirty look at Isabella.

"Don't worry," I told her, "this is just my friend Isabella, she is in need of some good home cooked food so I bought her to you."

We sat at my regular table at the back, I could see everything that was going on and could leave quickly if I needed to.

"What's good here?" she asked as she pretended to read the menu.

"Everything, so go for it." I told her honestly.

She ordered a huge amount of food, more than I'd ever expect her to eat, and as soon as it arrived she dug in. I was quietly impressed the girl could eat.

"Okay, so now I've quietened down the beast in my belly," she began, "do you want to start by telling me why you are following me? I don't think you want rid of me, that would have happened by now, so why, why are you and those other goons in the Range Rover brigade following me?"

Where to start?

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Thank you as ever to LL who is off touring Scotland at the moment. Hope you have had a wonderful time.

A quick wave to everyone at the Meet up in Vegas, I really hope I can get to the next one it's on my bucket list of to do's.

I'm astonished at the amount of you that are reviewing this story. Thank you so much, I love reading them and I do try to answer as many as I can. I'm very honoured you take the time. Thank you xx


	12. Chapter 12

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter 12

BPOV

"I'm so fucking bored." Shit. I'm talking to the wall again.

As I walk around my apartment looking for things to clean I know I've reached the level of boredom that usually gets me into trouble. Normally I would round up the girls and hit a karaoke bar, I can't sing for shit but after several tequilas I can sing Taylor swift hits better than she can. I checked the time but it was too early to see what everyone was doing, none of the other girls would even be home yet. I looked out of my window and saw the ever-present Range Rover outside. A glimmer of an idea started to form and before I think about it too hard I've pulled on my Vans and am marching towards the vehicle. I half expected it to drive away as normal, but surprisingly it stayed put. A quick glance though the windshield confirmed it was Emmett at the wheel.

"Emmett," the electric motor hummed as the window lowered, allowing me to lean him and talk to him, "haven't you got anything better to do than sit out here tonight?"

"Well," he replied, smiling. "I think that rather depends on you and your plans, but I am on a promise so if you could get a rush on I'd be eternally grateful." His cheeky grin was infectious and I had to hide my own smile.

I walked around and climbed in to the passenger seat. This was one luxurious car; the leather seats were warm and comfy and the interior had that lovely new car smell my poor truck hadn't had in decades. These boys had some serious cash if they were driving around in a fleet of these incredible cars. My stomach rumbled, I needed food. More than food, I needed answers. I couldn't be sure I would get a chance to speak to Emmett on his own again.

"Let's go and get something to eat," I told him. "I need to ask some questions and you can answer them for me." He looked at me and let out a breath, I'd had no idea if this plan would work but it seemed to me as if he was already resigned to something.

"Okay, where do you fancy eating?" he asked.

"Nothing expensive or posh, I want proper food and lots of it" I told him as I fastened the seat belt.

We drove for a while, crossing backwards and forwards across blocks until we pulled up outside of a small restaurant. It was a little worn looking, but the aroma coming from inside was incredible. I didn't have a clue where we were, but It was obvious it was a regular haunt of Emmett's.

As soon as we walked in an older female came over to us. She was the epitome of every Mediterranean mama, a small chubby woman with a big uncontrollable chest constrained in a stained apron screeching at the top of her voice.

"Where is my Rosie tonight?" she asked looking daggers at me.

"Don't worry, this is just my friend Isabella, she's in need of some good home cooked food so I brought her to you." Emmett explained as the small woman swept the man mountain into an all-consuming hug. How a 5ft woman managed to surround a 6ft 4" man mountain I'll never know, but he definitely disappeared at one point into her huge chest.

She showed us to a table at the back of the restaurant, and thrust a menu into my hand, indicating a specials board with an ungracious tilt of her head.

"So, what's good here?" I asked, without even looking at the menu.

"Everything, so go for it." He was either really familiar with the menu here or he just ordered whatever he fancied.

We both ordered a huge amount of food, more than I'd ever expect us to eat, but in my defence the smells coming from the kitchen were incredible. We ate in silence, both of us avoiding starting a conversation. I knew if he answered even one question it would change the fragile dynamic we had established. As I chewed each mouthful and drank my way through the half carafe of red wine the little lady had rudely thrust at me, I tried to decide on the best approach. I wanted to know so much but I wasn't sure how or where to begin. As ever with me I did my usual trick and just blurted out what I was thinking.

"Okay, so now I've quietened down the beast in my belly, I want you to tell me why you are following me, I don't think you want rid of me, that would have happened by now, so why are the goons in the Range Rovers following me?"

He went through a range of emotions as he tried to decide what he could tell me against what he wanted to tell me. The guy should never play poker; he couldn't hide anything.

"Bella, he paused, "you don't mind me calling you Bella, do you?" I shook my head, staying quiet so I didn't interrupt him. "Bella," he looked puzzled, "why would you think we wanted rid of you?"

"Well," I told him, shoving another delicious meatball into my mouth, "while I didn't quite realise at the time, I now know that you and your foul-mouthed brother are part of the Cullen family."

"How do you know that?" asked Emmett, putting his own fork down for the first time in quarter of an hour.

"My dad is the chief of police back home and when I realised I was being followed I had him run the licence plates." Emmett blinked, his expression carefully blank. "When he started to make enquiries the local FBI office here was all over him wanting to know why he was interested."

Emmett took an awful long time to respond. He called over a waiter and ordered an espresso. The waiter looked at me and I shook my head. The last thing I need is to be up all night wide awake with strong Italian coffee fighting the red wine as it coursed through my veins.

"Okay," he said, carefully, "but that doesn't explain why you would think we wanted rid of you?"

"Well," I told him, "that first day in the penthouse I was a witness to you dragging off Mr whatever his name was…" I tried to read his face, but this time it was totally blank, perhaps he had a poker face after all. "Who knows where he is now." I told him pointedly, shoving another meatball into my mouth, studiously keeping my own face neutral now. This was the first time that either of us had hinted that the family business might be anything other than entirely legitimate.

"We wrapped up our business with Mr Hunter shortly after we left the building," he said, stiffly. "We recovered the missing property therefore everything was concluded to our satisfaction." The espresso arrived and he stopped talking for a moment to thank the waiter and stir the dark, highly scented liquid. "I admit we have had a few run ins with the local Police Department, but that is because Edward runs so many clubs. Some of them, for example the club that you went to, are real classy joints. However, some of them are your typical sleazy everyday strip joints. You know," he looked me in the eye for the first time in several minutes, "the kind of places that you stick to the carpets and the seats. We are known to the police due to the usual kind of petty crime that goes with that sort of establishment; soliciting, assault, theft. If we were a crime family do you think we would even be allowed to have licences for those clubs?"

I still didn't believe that all of the Cullen family businesses were entirely legitimate, but I couldn't argue with Emmett in this moment in time as I simply didn't have enough information. I made a mental note to myself to speak to my Dad and get some more information.

"Okay, so if you weren't watching me to make sure I wasn't going to the police, why are you following me?"

"We aren't following you as such," he fiddled with the handle of the tiny espresso cup, "look at it more as a protection detail, you know like the president has."

"I'm a realtor, not a politician," I replied with an incredulous snort. "Why would I need protection?"

"Erm…, well…, erm…" He couldn't meet my eyes.

"Come on Emmett," I was starting to get angry now, "what is it about me that means you and the Range Rover Brigade are following my every move?"

"It's Edward, my brother," admitted Emmett with a sigh, "he just wanted to make sure you were okay after everything that happened."

"Edward? You mean green eyes? He nodded, looking around the restaurant but avoiding my eyes.

"What aren't you telling me? I've already had a couple of run ins with him, none that have been very successful or pleasant."

"He is a very misunderstood man." I stared at him, goading him with my eyes to continue. "He has a very complicated lonely life that means he doesn't get to show his true feelings to anyone. Shit, even his bitch of a wife hasn't even bothered trying to get to know him."

"What the fuck do you mean his wife?" That last word sent me towards being properly angry.

"He's separated now Bella, honestly," from the tone of Emmett's voice it seemed that he could see the red mist descending, "Edward's going through a divorce, that's why he hasn't tried to see…"

"Enough Emmett, I don't get involved when there are wedding rings involved."

"But he had an arranged…"

"Not interested Emmett," I snapped, "he's married." I hated myself for talking to Emmett like that but in this moment, well it seemed more important to hold onto my anger than to let him see the disappointment that I felt at the revelation that green eyes was married.

"Well I suppose it's pointless leaving these for you then" he said putting two more Tiffany boxes on the table in front of me.

"I knew it was him," I said, "I couldn't think of anyone else who would throw that kind of cash around on useless trinkets."

My curiosity got the better of me, no matter how much I tried not to I couldn't resist opening the first box. It was a beautiful bracelet, another part of the set he'd been sending me, the fourth box held a watch, not part of the collection but beautiful in its own right. With what was on the table together with what was in my freezer, I had about fifty thousand dollars' worth of jewellery.

Before I could think I picked up both boxes and put them in my purse. I looked up at Emmett and he had a strange look on his face.

"I thought you were different," he said as he gestured for the check.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I was ready to defend myself if he wanted to get into a slanging match.

"I just thought you were different from a lot of the women I come into contact with, I didn't think you would accept them," he pointed to my purse.

"Oh, don't worry," I told him. I suspected that my grin was bordering on the manic. "I won't be keeping any of the gifts he has sent me. In fact, I will be making a trek uptown in the morning to return everything." I paused for a moment. "Well I can't take the pastries and the flowers back but…"

"Look do me a favour please, if and it's a big if, you even get to see him, please don't mention anything about the pastries and flowers." I looked at him, puzzled by the strange request. "In fact," he continued, "why don't I try and see if he has time to have coffee with you? You could sit and chat with him, you know, just spend an hour or so getting to know him."

"Emmett he's married," I threw my hands up in the air, not quite sure what Emmett didn't understand.

Before I could say anything else the restaurant door flew open, pushed hard enough that the whole ancient storefront shook and a woman came rushing in. She didn't stop to look around, she came straight to us.

"Emmy bear," she said, breathlessly, "when Nona called to say you were here with another woman I didn't believe her. How could you bring someone to our restaurant?" She plonked herself forcefully in his lap, the scraping of the chair as it was pushed backwards caused the whole restaurant to look at us. "Hi I'm Rosie," she said. Her voice was friendly enough but there was a hint of warning in it. "Emmett's soon to be wife if I get my way." She leaned forward offering me her hand.

"Nice to meet you Rosie. I'm Bella, "I said not knowing how to explain who I was and why I was with him.

"Oh," she replied, a flash of understanding moving across her face, "you're the one keeping him out of my bed at night." She turned towards him and planted a huge sloppy kiss on his lips.

"Guilty I'm afraid, but hopefully I'll be able to change that tomorrow when I have a little chat with Mr Cullen."

"Good luck with that I don't think he's spoken more than ten words to me in all the time I've worked at his club"

She turned to Emmett again but he seemed to be just happy she was there with him.

"I don't really have much to do with him" she leaned across the table, "but I know he is horrible to everyone, so nobody at the club takes any notice any more. We would all be freaked out if he actually smiled one day."

Emmett rubbed her back, the look of love between them was obvious, they could have been the only two people on the planet never mind in the restaurant. I looked at Rosie, she was probably around Emmett's age, with mousey brown straight hair, on the heavy side and not what anybody would call a classic beauty. As I looked at her it struck me, she was just ordinary, maybe from some trailer park somewhere, but in Emmett's eyes she was the centre of his world and I was very much a spare part. I stood up, wondering how long it would take to get a cab outside, as I stepped away from the table Rosie looked up at me.

"Please don't go yet," she pleaded. "I'd love to have some dessert and get to know you, I could fill you in on the gossip my Emmy bear can't tell you."

She looked so sincere I couldn't help but sit back down again.

"Is tiramisu okay? The one here is homemade and to die for." She was already signalling to the waiter, asking for a double portion of dessert and three spoons.

I nodded. Emmett still hadn't said a word, he just sat there looking all sappy at the woman in his lap. I could see his arms were wrapped around here, almost holding her in place.

"First things first I need to give you the low down on that bitch of wife of Mr Cullen's, she is without doubt the biggest cow I have ever come across," Emmett cleared his throat as if warning her, but she shook her head and ignored him. "This one time she actually rang the club and ordered that the whole staff leave and go to her home because she was having friends over for afternoon tea and she needed the whole place cleaning top to bottom."

We sat eating probably the best desert I have ever tasted, as Rosie let her mouth run away with her I learned some very interesting facts about Mr and Mrs Edward Cullen.

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Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I can't believe how many I've received already.

Thank you to Tarbecca for the rec on a Different Forest and to Gabby1017 for your continued support I really appreciate it xx

You've all got your own ideas about our mystery breakfast leaver, he will pop in and out of the story, driving Emmett mad, but none of you have guessed who he actually is.

As ever thank you to Ladyletters for making sense of the jumble I send her. She works her magic on it.


	13. Chapter 13

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter 13

BPOV

I couldn't believe I had nearly $50,000 sat in front of me. These four small presents could pay for my cruise and let me upgrade both the cabin and the number of trips ashore I could take. They could pay my bills while I was away and still leave more than enough for spending money and some new clothes for the trip.

I pushed the earrings around my breakfast bar, marvelling at the ray of light that danced on the kitchen wall as the sunlight hit the stones. I was tempted, I'll admit, really tempted to go down town and see what the cash in price would be. The other option was to take them all back to Tiffany and see if they would refund the cash.

"No!" I shouted at the wall. "They have to go back to the person who bought them."

I pushed my coffee and the remains of my breakfast aside and walked into the bedroom to get dressed. I automatically reached for one of my 'business suits' but changed my mind. If I was going to see green eyes I need to be comfortable and relaxed. I needed to be ready for him.

Rosie had given me a seriously biased insight into him last night. I could tell from Emmett's face that he didn't agree with a lot of her opinions but I could tell he wouldn't contradict her in front of me. She obviously didn't have much to do with Edward, she knew him as the man that kept her 'Emmy bear' away from her. The hard boss who had very high and exacting standards. I intended to get Emmett on his own as soon as I could to get his side of the story.

First things first I needed to take the jewellery back. Edward needed to realise it would be wasted on me, that I wasn't the sort of woman who wore her wealth on her body. Apart from the fact I had no wealth I just wouldn't be comfortable walking around knowing I could support a small family with the trinkets I wore.

Back to what I should wear, I didn't want too casual so that ruled out jeans but I didn't want formal, so no pant suit either. In the end I settled on a tight cream pencil skirt, nude heels and a chocolate brown silk short sleeved blouse. I pulled the sides of my hair up into a hair slide at the back of my head, leaving the rest hanging down and applied my make-up. As I stood back and had a look at the overall effect I felt sexy, strong, pretty and confident all rolled into one.

I grabbed the diamonds and put them all into their individual boxes, then their little bags. Some were a bit soggy where they had not reacted well to being stored in the freezer, but overall, they were fine. I grabbed my purse and keys and opened the front door. My first instinct was too look down, nothing today thankfully.

Alex was on the phone as usual and waved as I walked past. I made my way outside and climbed into my truck. A quick check around and I could see the Range Rover parked about five spaces up. I waved assuming it was Emmett and set off towards Edward's office. I couldn't help but wonder when It would dawn on my shadow where I was actually heading. I threw in a few odd turns to try and confuse whoever was following me, the subterfuge making me grin to myself.

Finally, I pulled up outside the club and parked on the road so I could make a quick getaway if I needed to. I grabbed the gift bags, some half-baked idea about pretending I was a courier delivering some merchandise for Mr Cullen if they challenged me forming in the back of my mind.

As I walked towards the entrance the Range Rover pulled up behind me. I stopped to see who was driving and was relieved when Emmett jumped out of the driver's side.

"Hey Emmy Bear," I hollered, "how did you find me?"

"Don't let my Rosie hear you call me that," he warned, rolling his eyes as he slowed from a slow jog to a standstill. "I already got a tongue lashing for taking you to 'our' restaurant. I wouldn't want to be responsible for what she would do if she heard you call me that."

Emmett glanced at the door of the club but didn't say anything. Slightly anxious now, I mirrored him, turning to look at the classy frontage for a moment before looking back at him.

"So, are you going in?" I blurted the words out, unable to maintain the Mexican stand-off. He looked at the door again, then back at me, as if weighing carefully what he was about to say.

"Yes," he said, and a breath that I didn't know I had been holding whooshed out of my mouth, "but not that way. I use the staff entrance, it's around the back."

"Don't you think I should do this properly?" I asked, feeling that sneaking round the back was a little anti-climactic after all the time I had spent working up to this. "Speak to the doorman? Ask to see him, that sort of thing? It doesn't hurt to have some manners you know."

"Bella," he said gently, putting an arm around my shoulders and gently guiding me down the side of the building. "Even if you actually blagged your way past the doorman your chances of getting to Edward are virtually zero." I had quite literally dug my heels in, reluctant to let the door out of my sight. "Come on," he said, pushing me a little more forcefully, "if you follow me the odds rise dramatically." I let him lead me around the building. The back was very plain compared to the grand frontage that faced the street.

"You won't get into trouble, will you?" I asked as we walked up to a non-descript door.

"That depends entirely on how your meeting goes," he said. "Can I put a request in that you actually leave him smiling and maybe a little aroused? The poor guy seriously needs to get laid, he hasn't had any action in years."

"Emmett!" I smacked him on the chest, the dull thud emphasising just why my nickname of man mountain suited him so much better than 'Emmy bear' yuck.

"Seriously Bella," he said, and something about his tone made me stop, realising just how serious he was. "Edward must be so lonely, his marriage to Tanya was a sham from the beginning. It was arranged and neither of them had any say in it, they have never been happy or in love and Edward is too much of a gentleman to get caught out sleeping with some random woman." He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "When he found out Tanya was being unfaithful, well," he laughed, but the noise was harsh, "let's just say he loved being able to take the moral high ground."

I was a little stunned, Emmett had just told me more about Edward in those few short sentences then everything else I tried to find out. Before I could ask him anything else he disappeared through the doorway, holding the heavy door open for me to follow.

"Go straight along this corridor and up the stairs, at the top turn right and his office is on the left," I must have looked dubious as he smiled, a genuine one this time. "Don't worry, you can't miss it, it says 'office' on the door." With that he gave me a gentle push in the right direction. "And Bella, if he isn't in there go in and sit and wait, I'll find him and send him to you."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I straightened my skirt, fluffed my hair and licked my lips. I had a diva moment as I talked myself into taking that first step forward. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.

I stomped up the stairs and knocked on the door. I was ready for him.

Shame he wasn't in his office. After knocking twice more and getting no response, I tried the handle. The door was unlocked so I had a quick peep around the door. The office was definitely empty, Emmett had told me to wait for him so after another deep breath I walked in and shut the door.

The office was very masculine. It had a large mahogany desk in the centre, with a high back leather chair behind it. There was a laptop open on the desk as well as several different mobile phones and some paperwork. I looked for somewhere to sit, deciding that the leather chesterfield sofa looked the most comfortable. I settled down in it but it was the most uncomfortable piece of furniture I'd ever come across. The only other places to sit were either his chair or the two severe looking chairs in front of the desk. Opting for his chair I sank into the luxurious leather and waited for him.

Five minutes later I was bored, I was close to looking through his desk drawers just to see what was in there. Instead I got up and poured myself a drink. I was surprised the glasses and decanter didn't match, someone with his taste in diamonds would surely appreciate a decent decanter and glasses? I sniffed at the decanter, it was Scotch and a good one if I was not mistaken. I poured myself a shot and knocked it straight back. I shuddered as it made its way down my throat and settled in my stomach, the warmth radiated through me and I shuddered again.

"One more for luck," I said to the wall as I poured another shot and sat back in the chair, this time putting my feet on the desk crossed at the ankles. I felt like I was on a film set, I was some glamorous film star and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I was just in the process of performing another full twirl on the chair when the door opened and he walked in.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" he screamed.

He couldn't have timed it any worse, my spin was only half completed so all he could see was the back of the chair, as I finally made my way around to face him I couldn't help but shout, "SURPRISE!"

He stood looking at me and for a second I honestly thought he didn't recognise me, my ego hit the floor as I started to formulate how I could explain who I was.

"Miss Swan, how lovely to see you," he said in an almost normal tone as he walked towards the desk and sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" His eyes scanned all over me, I thought he may be checking me out or even just checking I was actually there.

"Well I came to return the gifts you sent me," I told him, the words tripping over each other in my rush to get them out. "I can't possibly accept them and I wanted you know that while I love them, they are not something that I would ever wear or enjoy, they just aren't me."

With that I placed the four Tiffany's boxes on the desk for him and pushed them towards him.

"I bought those gifts for you," he said as he pushed them back towards me. "I don't want them back."

"Well I can't and won't accept them," I pushed them back across the desk, a little harder so that one little turquoise bag almost fell off the desk, "so please take them back."

"No, I won't take them back, they are for you, to be worn by you, so they are yours." His voice had raised an octave or two and I could see his face was starting to colour.

"Edward," I said reasonably, "please don't be awkward about this, I'm not some women that needs buying, I don't want all these diamonds, please take them back."

"What is it with you?" He muttered." You are either throwing food at me or arguing with me, what do I have to do to get you to just do as your told?" he stood up and walked over to the side where he poured himself a drink, stopping for just a moment to look at the level of Scotch left in the decanter.

"For your information, I never do as I'm told," I told him. "I'm a single independent woman and I certainly do not need a man telling me what to do." With that I picked up the boxes and slung them at him one at a time and stood up to walk out. This had been a big mistake, I should have trusted my instincts and just left the boxes with the door man.

"DON'T YOU DARE WALK OUT ON ME AGAIN!" he screamed as I reached for the door handle. Now the phrase 'red rag to a bull' was rattling around my brain, I could think of at least several different responses I could spit at him as I flounced out of the office, but before I could decide which one to scream back at him, he said something that completely disarmed me.

"I'm sorry Isabella," all of the anger had leaked out of his voice. "I shouldn't have shouted, please sit back down and talk to me."

I turned to look at him, his face was so sad I almost cracked. Part of me was screaming to sit back down at the desk and get to know him, the other part was urging me to storm out and ignore his apology.

I had a split second to make the decision so I went for neither option. I walked towards him and his faced relaxed into a glorious smile as he thought I had decided to do as he asked, but I didn't stop at the chairs, I walked straight up to him, grabbed his tie, pulled his face down towards me and planted my lips on his. He was surprised, so surprised he didn't even respond until I ran my tongue along his bottom lip. The taste was glorious, he tasted of scotch and vanilla, cigarettes and something manly that I couldn't place.

As he started to respond our tongues fought for dominance, he couldn't let me kiss him, he had to take control. I stepped back and before he could say anything else I walked out of his office, down the stairs and out of the staff entrance. I could hear him shouting me as I let the door slam shut behind me.

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I know she is being harsh but she can't buckle at the first sign of a smile can she ?


	14. Chapter 14

The Next Mrs Cullen

I am aware Mrs M owns all things Twilight, I'm just borrowing the characters for a while. The plot line is mine though.

Chapter 14

We start off with Edward's POV but it changes to Bella's and then Jasper's so watch for the breaks.

***EPOV***

I couldn't move, my feet were cemented to the ground. All I could do was watch as she walked out of my office without a backward glance.

"Isabella!" I finally shouted as my office door slammed shut.

"Isabella…" I tried again but my voice broke and my legs wouldn't obey the urgent signals that my brain was trying to send them.

Involuntarily my fingers went to my lips, they were still throbbing. I could taste her on my tongue, my lips and the air around me seemed to hold a charge of static that just held me in place.

"Isabella." I finally got the use of my legs back and started to go after her. Just as I reached the door someone knocked on it, relief flooded through my body. She had come back, thank fuck for that.

"Boss," Emmett's distinctive tone floated through the door, "you in there?" My heart shuddered as I realised who it was.

"Come in," I sighed. She must have gone, my shoulders slumped as I made my way back behind my desk. I turned my back on the door momentarily until I was sure any trace of emotion had been removed from my face.

"Would you care to explain," I said icily, as Emmett's head appeared around the door, "why Isabella was here in my office? I presume it was down to you, or do I need to start firing my door and security staff?"

"Yes it was me Edward," he said.

Instead of cowering away from any forthcoming onslaught he stepped into the room and closed the door gently behind him.

"I followed her here and when I spoke to her outside she told me she needed to speak to you, so I brought her in through the staff entrance."

For once Emmett wasn't his usual moronic self, he looked concerned and I knew he had my best interests at heart. Nevertheless, it was hard to talk to him in anything other than my usual tone.

"I take it she returned the jewellery then?" he said, nodding his head toward the discarded boxes on the office floor. "You know Edward," his voice was soft, not without reason as I hate being told what I do or don't know, "you're doing this all wrong, Bella is not a woman who is impressed with expensive jewellery, you would be better off just spending some time with her. You know," he shrugged his shoulders, "talk to her, not at her. Listen to what she has to say. For once let someone else into your life and take a chance. I think Bella will be worth it."

I think that was the longest sentence I had ever heard Emmett say, but something that he said bothered me.

"Bella," I narrowed my eyes at him, my voice softening, "why did you call her Bella?"

"See Edward," he said, there was that tone again, making me clench my teeth together so hard that my jaw hurt.

"She prefers Bella, her friends all call her Bella. You would know that if you spoke to her instead of stalking her."

"I don't fucking stalk her," I couldn't rein it in any longer. "I'm just giving her space until my divorce is through. It's called respect." Who was I kidding? It made me happy knowing where she was all the time.

"I'm telling you brother," he said, shaking his head a little as if exasperated with my response. "If you took a step back and looked at this objectively and actually spoke to her, you could start to build a friendship with her. By the time you are rid of the lovely Tanya you would have the foundations of a relationship you can build on."

I looked at the man stood in front of me, really looked. Who had taken my little brother away and replaced him with this knowledgeable, sensible grown up? "What do you want me to do with this lot?" he asked as he dropped the jewellery boxes onto my desk.

"Fuck knows," I tried to sound nonchalant. "I'm not even sure that Tiffany will take them back." A thought suddenly struck me. "Why don't you take them and give them to your waitress friend?" I was trying to be nice but I couldn't remember her name. I knew she worked here but that was all.

"Fuck off Edward!" "Rosie wouldn't thank me for all that bling, she is not that sort of woman, something you would know if you had taken the time to get to know her."

"Come on Emmett," I was in the uncomfortable position of having to defend myself. "What woman doesn't like diamonds?"

"It seems Bella for one and my Rosie for another," he said, pointedly.

I slumped down in my chair as I tried to take in everything Emmett had said. For once he seemed to have all the answers and I wasn't used to that. It made me feel really uncomfortable.

"What do you suggest then Casanova?" My tone was frosty, I just couldn't help myself, even though I really wanted to know what he thought.

"Well drop the attitude for one thing," he said. "Why don't you just try and talk to her?"

"How?" I asked. Tanya and I had never really talked. We had courted, if you could call it that, in expensive restaurants and I had showered her with the expensive gifts she expected. The marriage was arranged and in all honesty, I hadn't had much experience actually talking to women before that. Our marriage had been organised when we were children, it was brought forward when my father decided to retire much earlier than I ever expected. I'd had some fun in college but I wasn't a man whore or anything like that, I could count my sexual partners on one tired over used hand. I didn't have any qualms about killing or maiming a man, but actually talking to Isabella seemed like a pretty tall order.

"I don't know," he sounded exasperated, as if it was me asking a stupid question, "ask her out for coffee or lunch, something not too heavy. Rosie and I meet for lunch when we can, it just breaks the day up and means we can keep in touch." He shrugged his shoulders and looked almost boyish as he realised he had admitted just how much he felt for his waitress.

"You really care about her, don't you?" I couldn't believe he had fallen for such an ordinary non-descript woman but each to their own.

"Yes, Edward I do," he tilted his chin defiantly, "and I need to talk to you about my future. I'm going to ask Rosie to marry me soon, so I need to discuss what I'm going to do."

Shit he was serious, my baby brother wanted to get married.

"You are a Cullen first Emmett," I told him. "Don't you ever forget that. You were born into this life just as I was." he knew this I should not have to remind him.

"I know Edward, but you are much more conditioned to it than I am," his eyes were deadly serious. "I know I do the gory bits for you now, but I really don't want to be doing it for ever."

The conversation came to a natural break. I knew I needed to take in what he had said, both about Isabella and his own future, but to be honest I was having trouble sorting everything out in my brain.

"Just get back to work Emmett," I told him. I was relatively calm until another thought came to mind.

"Wait a minute, if you are stood here, who the hell is watching Isabella?" My voice rose a decibel with each word. "And for the record I'M STILL FUCKING WAITING FOR A REPORT ON THE ACTUAL FUCKING PERVERT WHO IS STALKING ISABELLA!" I slammed my hand down on the desk causing my laptop to jump.

"And so he returns," Emmett mumbled as he opened my office door and walked out.

***BPOV***

I made it down the stairs and out onto the street without any hassle, I was surprised he didn't follow me. In truth, I was a little disappointed but as I climbed into my truck I knew I had had the upper hand for just a few minutes. I could feel my lips tingling still from the friction of his kiss. I couldn't help but giggle as I thought about the surprised look on his face and the beautiful warm smile when he thought I was going to sit down and play the obedient one.

"Not my way Mister, as the song say, if you like it put a ring on it… until then I'm all about me." I was talking to myself again. Shit, I started the truck and without a backward glance drove away.

The rest of the day was a bit of an anti-climax. I didn't have any appointments. My grocery shopping was done and my bills were up to date. It was one of those rare days where I really didn't have anything to do, so I decided to treat myself. A quick call and I was booked into my favourite spa for some me time.

An hour later I was lying flat out on a heated massage table while the therapist placed hot stones on my back to the soundtrack of some strange sounds that were supposed to pass for music. As my face pushed through the hole in the leather table I noticed that the floor had changed from linoleum to marble tile. The oven that the stones had been heated in was clearly new. Even that godawful music was more new age than ever before. Everything had changed since I'd last been here, surely it was only about six weeks since I'd had my last wax?

"Chloe," I asked. "Have you had a refurbishment?"

"Oh, didn't you receive the email?" she asked. "We've got a new owner, she has some very… strong ideas about how she wants to run the place so things are changing."

I wasn't sure if I was happy about that. Sure, it was nice to see the place get a spruce up but this was my little sanctuary, a place where I could relax and unwind when I needed to. It was also practical, a place where I could get my lady bits waxed into a presentable shape by a discreet beautician.

"You'll met her shortly," said Chloe, placing tiny hot stones between my toes. "Alice is here all the time and is introducing herself to all the existing customers as they come in for their appointments."

I lay for a while in that half state you sometimes manage to achieve, so relaxed you can't move but still aware that someone is actually hovering around. Slowly Chloe brought me back into the land of the living. After a quick shower and a refreshing glass of cucumber water I was ready to get my nails done. Just as I sat in the chair a woman came into the room and stood in front of me.

"Hello," she said with a bright but genuine smile, "my name is Alice Whitlock. I'm the new owner of the Spa and I wanted to welcome you and let you know that while I have started upgrading the facilities and the property, I will do my best to make sure that none of the work encroaches on the day to day running. I hope you have a wonderful relaxing time while you with us. If there is anything you think we can do to improve the service or the facilities further please let me know."

"Wow, you said that without drawing a breath "The words were out before I could stop them. Luckily, she just burst out laughing.

"Pleased to meet you," she said, and it felt like she genuinely was pleased. She held out her hand to me. The gesture struck me as slightly odd. Part of this was because I was sat in a towel with my feet in a mini whirlpool but it was also because I only ever really did the whole handshake thing with the male business types I dealt with. This woman was either surrounded by men all the time, slightly odd herself, or a mixture of the two.

"Bella Swan," I said as we shook hands, "pleased to meet you too."

I liked her instantly, there was an air of calm about her but I knew her mind was probably working overtime on several different subjects. We chatted for a couple of minutes before she was called away to deal with something at the front desk. I relaxed back and got an apparently ravishing shade of purple applied to my finger and toe nails.

When I finally reached the reception area to settle my account Alice was stood behind the desk and was deep in conversation, at first, I thought he was a client but after watching them for just a few seconds I could tell they were a couple, they were totally oblivious to their surroundings, their full attention centred on each other. They made a striking couple, him tall and blonde, her like me just standing a little over five foot with cropped dark hair. I waited until they had finished before approaching her.

"Bella," she smiled again as if truly happy to see me again, "I hope you enjoyed your visit with us."

"it's been a wonderful day Alice," I told her, "but I have to say the ambient music in the therapy room leaves a lot to be desired. At one point I thought I was listening to a cat in distress."

The guy at the side of me burst out laughing, loud real belly laughs. "I told you it was awful Alice," he said in between guffaws.

"Jasper Whitlock," he said holding out his hand to shake mine.

"Isabella Swan," I replied, shaking his hand. I wasn't sure why I used my full name but in his suit and tie he screamed business man.

I couldn't miss the double take, the reaction to my name instantaneous even though he composed his features quickly.

"So," I said, seizing the opportunity that his apparent surprise had offered, "are you part of the watch detail?" I could tell from the look on his face he knew what I was asking.

"You know about them?" he was obviously surprised.

"Emmett and I are quickly becoming friends," I said, with a smug smile, "he and Rosie are sweethearts."

"How do you know my brother and his girlfriend?" Alice interjected, obviously confused by our badly coded exchange.

"Your brother?" I thought about it for a moment. "Emmett is your brother, that means …" Before I could say anymore Jasper cut me off.

"Alice," he said, curtly, "you have a business to run. "why don't you sort out Miss Swan's bill and she can get on with the rest of her day?" He was already turning away from us and reaching for his phone.

She looked at me and her eyebrows were so far up her forehead I felt sorry for them. She was desperate to ask me what was going on but one glance at the back of Jasper and she shook her head and quickly scribbled her number on the back of my receipt followed by a message

 _Call me in an hour._

I took the receipt and pushed it into my purse before saying goodbye and walking out. I glanced back to see Jasper watching me as he continued his conversation. If he wasn't part of the Range Rover brigade who the hell was he? Alice was Emmett's sister, fuck small world, but that also meant she was Green eyes sister, did I want to get into this?

***Jasper POV***

I needed to spend some time with my wife, she was getting aggravated because work was kicking my butt. While Edward was my main client, I did do some pro bono work and basic cases just to keep The Law Society happy. These 'small' cases usually take up far more time than I ever intended and it's my beautiful Alice that loses out. Imagine my surprise when I dropped in to see if she wanted to pop out for a late lunch/ early dinner and ran into the lovely Miss Swan.

"Edward," I barked without preamble as he answered the phone. "I'm with Alice at her Spa and she's talking to Isabella. Do you want me to let them get acquainted or do you want me to put a stop to it?"

"Fuck, what is it with my family? It feels like everyone gets to spend time with her but me." He screamed.

He was as angry as ever and that means he won't be thinking straight, everything about Isabella seems to set him off.

"Don't let anything happen, I want to get to know her first so keep them apart for the time being. She can get to know Alice when I introduce her to the family formally."

I looked up but Isabella was already leaving. I watched as she strolled over to her truck.

"It's okay," I told him, my voice moving back to normal level as she moved out of earshot. "She's back in her truck and I can see Quil behind her."

I hung up and turned back to Alice. The fact she didn't ask me who Isabella was straight away was enough to tell me I was too late, she had worked it out.

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I can't thank you enough, I know my story has been rec'd in several places over the last few weeks, to all of you who have done that, thank you thank you thank you.

Ladyletters has pulled out all the stops to get this chapter back to me and then I played with it, so any mistakes are most definitely mine.

To all of you who have reviewed, I'm trying to keep up answering you all, if you keep reviewing at the pace you are now, this story will receive the highest number of all my stories. I'm so grateful you all take the time to drop me a message to let me know how I'm doing. Thank you xx


	15. Chapter 15

TNMC Chapter 15

BPOV

Exactly one hour later I dialled her number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Alice," I said as soon as she picked up, "it's Bella Swan." She didn't reply. "From the salon?" Still no reply.

"Oh hello Tracy," she said loudly, "sorry, I can't talk to you at the moment. I'm just having a bite to eat with my husband. How about I ring you back on this number later on this evening?"

It took me a moment to realise what she was saying. My first thought was who the hell was Tracey, but then I realised she was telling me she couldn't talk.

I could hear a male voice among the general back ground noise, wherever they where it was busy and noisy. It sounded like he was talking about unpasteurised cheese but I could quite easily have misheard.

"No problem." I said. I hung up totally frustrated. It had taken all of my willpower to wait a full hour to ring her. Now my problem is that when I'm bored or things aren't going my way, that's when I get myself into situations I really shouldn't. I was wandering around my apartment wondering what I could do to entertain myself when I noticed movement in the road below. It was obviously the changeover of shift. I hadn't recognised the newbie who had been with me today but I was pretty sure that this evening's shift was probably Emmett. The thought of spending an hour or so with him and Rosie made me smile so I quickly changed, pulling on some jeans and a nice top and decided we all needed to get better acquainted, especially now I'd met his sister.

I grabbed my purse and made my way to the door. As I opened it I was surprised to see Alex standing outside. He looked surprised to see me and I watched as his eyes swept along the floor outside my doorway.

"Can I help you?"

"No Miss Swan," he squeaked, before bringing his voice back to a more casual level. "I'm just doing my rounds." He rushed off down the stairs.

I made my way outside and strolled over to the SUV. The window lowered as the driver realised I was walking straight towards him.

"Good evening Miss Swan," said Emmett, a huge smile spreading across his face. "What can I do for you this evening?"

"Oh for fuck's sake," I told him as I reached for the door. "I don't know what's worse Miss Swan or Ma'am." I climbed into the passenger seat.

"Are we going somewhere?" Emmett asked as I fastened my seat belt.

"Yes," I told him, marvelling that he was treating this situation quite so normally. "I need a drink and some greasy ass food to mop it up. If I go out on my own I could get into all sorts of trouble."

"I know just the place," he said as he put the car into drive and pulled into the flow of traffic.

I wasn't going to tell him about meeting Alice, after all, the whole point of getting out the apartment was to distract myself. However, that lasted just a few seconds, before we were even at the end of my block I spilled my guts.

"I met your sister today," I tried to look nonchalant but I was dying to see his reaction. He raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes on the road. "She's calling me for a chat later."

"Alice is a little spitfire isn't she," he broke into a grin. "Did you meet her at the spa?" I nodded. "I can see how you and her would get on." He didn't sound at all surprised.

"Did you know I'd spoken to her?" I felt almost cheated that he knew.

"No," he replied, "obviously I knew you had been to her spa this afternoon but I couldn't be sure if you two would actually meet."

"She was talking to her husband when I was leaving and he gave it away," I said, suddenly wanting him to know everything. Well, more to let him know that I knew. "It was obvious that he knew me and my name, so I guessed he was something to do with you. As soon as I said your name Alice jumped in, Jasper shut her down so she slipped me her number."

Emmett let out a belly laugh that shook the car. I couldn't help but join in as the tears rolled down his face. "My sister comes across as all sweetness and light, but don't be fooled." He laughed again, a sharp bark. "She's sharper than the rest of us put together. She will have worked out who you were instantly, and that's just by listening to what Jasper hasn't told her." He inclined his head towards a small row of buildings with a loosely gravelled car park pockmarked with potholes in front. "We won't be disturbed here. I'll drop Alice a text and let her know to join us here later."

I followed him across the parking lot, noting that he had parked the Range Rover in the driest area and under a street lamp as if he had been coming here for a long time and knew the best place to park. He took me to a small brick building, wedged between two larger and more modern ones. It was squat, the brick painted with layers of dark green paint. I had driven this street dozens of times but never noticed the tiny white sign. It was dark inside even though it was still early evening, and it smelt of smoke, sweat, fried food and alcohol. The uneven wooden floor was sticky underfoot and strains of an old country tune emanated from an old juke box. The two guys playing pool were wearing the leather waistcoats of a local biker gang. It was everything your momma warned you to stay away from. I screwed up my nose and eyes as I took in my surroundings,

"You really do bring me to all the best places, "I deadpanned as I took in the battered green booths, the old-style bar and the mismatched bar stools.

"Don't judge," he said, "we're safe here. Alice will also be able to talk to you safely, we won't be seen."

A man behind the bar who couldn't have been far off eighty years old acknowledged Emmett with a nod of his head. Emmett nodded back, indicated the number three with his fingers and led me towards a booth in the corner of the room. As my eyes adjusted to the murky interior I noticed that there were a few more patrons. A young couple sat drinking craft beer. Some hipster looking types with gravity defying moustaches were oohing and aahing over what looked like a huge rack of ribs. My mouth started to water as the aroma of cooking cut through everything else.

"We grew up near here," said Emmett, absent-mindedly, as he typed a text message. "Armie's been here since our Dad was a boy. His chef, Donny, has been here just as long." He cocked his heard towards the hipsters. "The food kinda went out of fashion for a while but it's been coming back since appearing on an episode of _Diners, Drive-ins and Dives_." I definitely thought that dive was the most appropriate description for this place. Emmett's phone beeped a reply almost instantly. "Alice will be here shortly."

Armie shuffled over from the bar with three glasses and a pitcher of beer. He seemed a little unsteady on his feet and each step saw a little more beer slosh over the top of the pitcher and onto the floor. I started to understand why the floor was so sticky.

"You really hungry," said Emmett, casting his eyes over a laminated menu, "or just peckish?"

"Starving," I told him. I watched Armie shuffle back to the bar. Now I'm not a food snob, but my one requirement is a clean kitchen and chef but things weren't looking too promising on that front. "Is everything, you know….

"Tasty, yeah," he cut in.

"No," I said in a low voice, "clean?"

"Relax Bella," he said, "would I bring you somewhere I didn't know and trust?"

Armie shuffled back again and I let Emmett order for both of us. In what seemed like just a few minutes the table was covered in food. A large platter of my favourite cheesy fries and a portions of ribs, chicken wings, smothered nachos and several huge burgers with all the trimmings.

"Who the hell are we feeding?" I remarked as I took a huge bite of one of the burgers. "There's enough food here to fed an army."

"Alice can match me bite for bite," replied Emmett with a wry smile. "If she's been to a restaurant with Jasper she'll be starving." He set about attacking the mountain of food.

We ate steadily for about 15 minutes before Alice finally walked in.

"Well finally," she said, sitting heavily on the seat and throwing her designer handbag carelessly onto the floor underneath the booth. "It's been killing me waiting to speak to you, especially since I've just endured a lecture from my husband on why I'm not to contact you, all because my pussy of a big brother wants to get to know you first."

With that she picked up a burger and took a huge bite. Juice from the meat dribbled down her chin and she wiped it away with the back of her hand, taking a second and third bite almost as soon as she had swallowed the first. She was just starting on her second burger when Armie bought over another pitcher of beer. This tiny waif of a woman didn't come up for air until she had eaten two full burgers with all the trimmings, several wings, a mountain of fries and some ribs. As she swallowed down her second glass of beer she sat back and rubbed her stomach.

"That's better," she said, and I felt sure that she was super close to burping out loud. "I feel human again now".

"I thought you were out with your husband for a meal?" I asked.

"Yes," she sighed, "but Jasper loves trendy restaurants where they are all about health eating. He's very aware of what he puts into his body. I've just pushed down some revolting dish that had Quinoa, kale and beetroot in," she shuddered as if it was the worst thing she ever tasted.

"He does have a six pack," said Emmett, as he rubbed his palm over his full stomach.

"He does!" Alice winked at me. "I love the bones of him," she continued brightly, "so I eat the crap he loves then I come here and eat what I like." Alice and Emmett laughed and clinked glasses as they both sank a full glass of beer each. I thought I could put it away but these two made me look like an amateur.

"Okay," said Alice, suddenly serious, "let's get the basics right. You are the one my brother Edward has everyone running around after." I looked at Emmett. He nodded. I shrugged. "That gold digging bitch of a soon to be ex-wife has been sent out of the country for the time being and while Edward awaits his divorce he is keeping you at arm's length." I kept my mouth shut, hoping that she would continue filling me in on the situation. "You though," she sniggered, a little cruelly, "are giving as good as you get." I shrugged again, striving for nonchalance. "You've met my other brother Emmett here and the lovely Rosie?" I nodded. Her eyes narrowed. "What about my mother?" She looked at Emmett for confirmation and he shook his head. "Is Edward keeping her away or doesn't she know yet?"

"Only you, Jasper and Rosie know about her," he said. "Outside the protection detail obviously." I suddenly felt very left out of the conversation.

"Well keep mother away from Bella," she advised, "the last thing she needs is a trip to the country club with all the money grabbing pariahs my mother calls friends."

"Err, I am here you know," I said, slamming my empty beer glass down to reinforce the fact.

"Sorry sweetie," said Alice. "I just needed to make sure I was up to speed, Jasper was adamant that you and I can't be friends yet."

"Yet here you are, "I raised my glass to salute her.

"Well," she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "I don't remember my marriage vows mentioning anything about obeying or choosing my friends for me, so here I am. Armie!" I jumped as she shouted at the ancient bartender. "A bottle of Scotch please!"

In that moment I knew we were going to be great friends and also that it was going to be a very long night…

The next morning, I woke with a throbbing head and a mouth that I thought someone or something could have died in. I knew the amount of alcohol we had devoured was mostly to blame but the rest was definitely from the noise of the bar and Alice. She was without doubt a rare creature, anyone who could out eat, out drink and even out talk me was going to be a friend for ever. After a couple of Advil and several glasses of water, I felt human enough to face the outside world. After a quick wash I pulled on some cut-off jeans and an old t shirt, scraped my hair into a high pony tail and put on some flip flops. I checked to make sure my breath wouldn't strip the paint off the furniture and after cleaning my teeth for the third time I finally made it downstairs in search of really strong coffee and bacon. I really needed bacon.

"Miss Swan good morning, going anywhere nice?" Alex asked. He was way too bright for this time of the morning.

"Do I really look like I'm off to have a date with Prince Harry?" I spat as I swept past him. I staggered as the bright mid-morning light hit me and I cursed at forgetting my sun glasses. I stood trying to decide if I had the energy to go back upstairs to fetch them, or if I should just push forward and try to make it to my emergency deli down the block. The urgent need for coffee and food won out and I set off in my own little world, trying to keep my feet moving in time to the now dull but still regular throbbing in my head.

Half an hour later I was starting to feel slightly normal. I was on my second large Cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso and I had just finished pancakes, bacon and eggs smothered in maple syrup. As I sat looking at my phone, watching a pair of hands make 'a no bake, no fuss cheesecake' I became aware someone was standing over me.

"Good morning Isabella, would you mind if I sat down?" I looked up to see green eyes standing looking down at me. His face was a mass of confusion as he waited for me to give him permission to sit down. On any other day I would have played with him, but I was too tired and hungover to get into any sort of spat.

"No of course not, please sit down." I told him as I started to remove the evidence of my huge breakfast from in front of him. I should have been mortified at him knowing how much I had eaten however I simply couldn't muster the energy to care.

"Wait, I'll do that," he said as he picked up the plate and empty mug and carried them back to the counter.

"I tried to order you another coffee, but the waitress said you may be near your limit of caffeine for the day," he sat down across from me and looked completely out of place, "I wasn't quite sure what she meant."

His three-piece suit was immaculate, his shoes shiny and even his hair for once seemed to be doing what it was told. I wanted to run my fingers through it, mess it up, loosen his tie and just let him slouch in the chair a little. That's before I even got to deciding what to do with those full lips.

"What are you doing here Edward?" I asked, wearily. "This place doesn't seem to be up to the standard of your normal hang out."

"I'm on my way to meet my mother for brunch," he said, ignoring my suggestion that he was slumming it, "she has requested I meet her which means she needs to either question me about something or she has discovered another suitable single woman she deems appropriate marriage material." He sighed, suddenly looking tired. "Neither conversation is one that I am particularly looking forward to." I got the feeling that he was as exhausted as me.

"So," he continued, "when Emmett called me and told me you were here. I thought I'd stop by and say hello." He looked around nervously before turning back to me. "Would you like another drink?" This was interesting. He could have lied, he could have called our meeting a coincidence but he had been totally honest about both following me and about coming to find me. This felt like the most honest conversation that we had ever had. I was loathed for it to finish.

"'l'll have a decaf cappuccino," I said, deciding that the blood rushing through my veins was simply a result of too much caffeine. "That's if you are staying," I added, quickly. "If not, I'll make my way back home."

"I have 15 minutes before I need to leave," he said looking at his ever-present phone.

Now normally I would have jumped straight down his throat at this point, giving him a severe tongue lashing about being worth more than a few minutes of his precious time, but I was tired, still had a headache and I had eaten a shit load of carbs so my belly was full. So instead I just nodded and watched as he went back to the deli counter and ordered a decaf cappuccino and a tiny pungent Italian espresso for himself. I was surprised when he also pointed at a huge chocolate cup cake. When he returned we sat in silence as we both sipped our drinks. The cupcake sat between us and I wasn't sure whether he had bought it for me or not.

"What's on your mind Edward," I asked him," you seem a little off today, not your usual cocky self."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Cocky?" He repeated the word, raising an eyebrow for emphasis.

"Seems an apt description from the evidence so far," I smiled sweetly. Ignoring the question he pointed at the cupcake. I really couldn't stomach anything else so shook my head to decline. He picked it up and took a huge bite, demolishing a good third in a single bite, half closing his eyes in pleasure. What was it with this family and their capacity to eat? What was it about that face that made me wonder what his face would look like in the throes of pleasure if he just let himself go for a while?

"So you think I'm cocky," he said pausing for a few seconds between bites. It didn't sound like a question, more of a statement so I just nodded in agreement. He took a few more swallows of his coffee before looking at his phone.

"I have to go Isabella, but before I do can I ask…" I held my breath for a moment. "Would you like to have lunch with me one day this week?"

He took me completely by surprise. It was the last thing I was expecting, after all the jewellery and the banter, for him to just come out and ask like that. Quite frankly, I was stunned so stunned I didn't answer, so when he stood to leave I panicked a little. As he walked towards the door I couldn't help but admire the fact he taken the chance to ask me, the least he deserved was an answer.

"That would be lovely," I almost shouted as his hand rested on the door handle.

He stopped and turned to look at me, the smile that lit up his face was breath taking and if I wasn't suffering so much I'm sure my ovaries would have danced around inside me.

"I'll be in touch," was all he said as he disappeared through the door.

I slumped back into the booth, a little shaky, a little disbelieving at what had happened. What the hell had I just agreed to? I should be mad, I should be nervous about meeting such a powerful man again, yet I felt like I was in a little bubble.

Pharrell was singing 'happy' at full volume as my work phone started to dance across the table top.

"For fuck's sake," I grumbled, snatching the phone up, annoyed that the moment had been interrupted. "Isabella Swan, how can I help?"

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Thank you to Ladyletters for getting this back to me, I've played a little so any mistakes are mind.


	16. Chapter 16

TNMC

Chapter 16

We have two POV's in this chapter, so look for the break where Emmett comes in.

BPOV

I got up and went to settle my tab only to find he had already taken care of it. The cashier looked slightly envious as she referenced him as 'that handsome man' and gushed over how well he had tipped. The feminist part of me wondered whether I should be angry but after that smile there was no way I could harbour a grudge. I stepped out onto the sidewalk trying to decide that to do with the rest of my day.

Ring, Ring. Justin Timberlake let me know he was bringing sexy back as my phone rudely reminded me that a self-employed person never really got a proper day off. I sighed, pulled it out of my pocket and pressed the green button.

"Isabella Swan," I automatically slipped into work Isabella mode, "how may I help you?"

"Hello Bella," I recognised the voice, my hackles were up straight away. "It's Mr Jarvis," he paused, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement that I didn't intend on giving him; this guy had given me the creeps the last time I'd shown him a property. "I wondered if you had another property to show me?"

"Not at the moment," I replied, efficiently, "I'm afraid that everything I have is above the price range you gave me. Of course," I trilled, trying to wrap things up, "if anything else comes up I'll let you know."

I was desperate to get him off the phone, just hearing his voice made me physically shudder.

"How did you enjoy your breakfast Bella," I paused, wondering how he knew that I had been eating breakfast. I glanced at my watch, it was late morning. A lucky guess?

"Lovely, thank you. As I said…"

"It looks as though you had a heavy night last night, you're not your usual put together self," my stomach flipped three hundred and sixty degrees. I whirled around, phone still pressed to my ear. "I do miss that blue suit."

That sentence stopped me in my tracks. I pressed my back to a glass shop window, scanning the street, he was obviously close by. I couldn't see anything. Then again, what was I expecting to see? A big sign above him pointing down saying HERE I AM? I didn't know where he was but my body told me that he was watching. There were goose bumps on my arms and I had been a dog rather than a human I would have been growling, my hackles raised. My next thought was to look for the Range Rover, thankfully it was further up the block. I knew it wouldn't be Emmett inside because he'd been with us last night, Quil had had to come and fetch us. I started to walk towards it, crossing the road, hoping it wasn't the newbie I hadn't met yet.

"Where are you going now Bella, you live on this side of the block?" his voice seemed to echo through me as I realised I hadn't hung up. Shit he really could see me. I started walking faster. I desperately wanted to run but scared as I was I couldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had genuinely rattled me.

I trotted the last few steps towards the SUV. As I reached the door Quil leaned over and opened it for me so I could jump straight in. His expression was concerned as he started to ask what was wrong. Before he could get the second word out I pushed my phone at him, I needed somebody else to hear how creepy the guy sounded.

"Who is this?" Quil asked, clicking on the speakerphone.

"I'm much more interested in who you are. Have you suddenly found yourself a boyfriend Bella?" Mr Jarvis was not fazed at all that I was in the car.

"Who is this?" asked Quil again, this time in clipped tones. He had changed posture almost immediately, transformed from a quiet driver into a dangerous animal ready to pounce. I wondered for a fleeting moment whether he was ex forces.

"Mr Jarvis," he replied, almost laconically, "although all you need to know is that I am an interested party." He paused, his breathing so heavy that we could hear the slow inhale and exhale over speakerphone. Sonofabitch was calm as hell. "A very interested party."

"For your information," said Quil, firmly, "I am Miss Swan's driver so I will be with her at all times."

"So not her boyfriend," the silence was loaded. "Interesting. Well, fun as this is," he chuckled, as if talking to a good friend. "I've got things to do. I'll see you very soon Bella." With that the line disconnected and we both sat staring at my phone.

As if someone had switched a switch Quil suddenly seemed to spring into action.

"Okay," he said, putting the car into gear and checking the rear-view mirror simultaneously, "I'm taking you to Emmett." With that he pulled away from the sidewalk and then away from my block in what seemed like seconds.

"Wait," I said, suddenly starting to feel as if I might have over-reacted and remembering something that Emmett had told me the night before. "No need to get Emmett, we have all that new security at my building. Alex the new doorman will look after me. I'll lock my door, not open it without checking and all that crap. Emmett had a late night last night and today is his first day off in ages, don't spoil it."

The last thing I needed was to go visiting anyone, I just wanted to crawl back into bed.

"Nope, I need to see Emmett." He pressed a button on the leather steering wheel and the ringtone filled the car immediately. I sank bank into the seat, defeated. The adrenaline was starting to leak away and I felt tired, perhaps a little shivery.

"Dude," barked Emmett. "Unless Bella is injured or missing I'm not interested, Rosie is doing amazing things to parts of my anatomy that have been woefully neglected lately."

"Hi Emmett," I piped up, before Quil could talk. "I told him he was over reacting, I'll be fine once I'm safely locked in my apartment"

The resulting thud as I presume Rosie was pushed off him was followed by a scream and a string of obscenities.

"Why the hell is she with you in the car?" asked Emmett in a low, urgent voice. "And why does she need to be locked in her apartment?"

"I'll tell you later Emmett "I tried to diffuse the situation so I could go home to bed, "just get back to Rosie and I'll speak to you later."

"Quill?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Take her to the club and I'll meet you there."

"Already on my way Boss"

Quil was nodding and I could see he agreed with Emmett. Shit, I was out voted, it looked like I was going to the club. I sat in the passenger seat pouting and sulking like a toddler as he swerved the SUV through the traffic. My stomach moved with him and I was sure the pancakes were going to make a reappearance. It seemed to be just a few minutes before we were driving into the underground carpark across from where I'd parked the last two times I'd been here.

"Okay, let's get you inside and wait for Emmett," he said as he pulled up right next to a door I recognised.

"You are getting this all out of proportion you know," I said, sounding weak and whiny even to my own ears, "it's not unusual for a punter to get attached sometimes, it will blow over, honestly." I wasn't quite sure who I was actually trying to convince with my optimistic assessment.

"Nice try Bella," he said, not smiling, "now get inside."

Before I could argue, the door was pulled open and Emmett was dragging me out of the car.

"What the fuck? Will you all just calm the fuck down!" I screamed as my flip flops went in a different direction to the rest of me.

"Morning Bella," said Emmett, face grim, "as ever never a dull moment." He bundled me through the door and down a corridor, away from where I remembered Edward's office to be. We followed the hallway before he opened a door and we went into what was obviously an equivalent to an on call room. There was a bed, recliner, a small kitchen area and a bank of computer screens that would have made NASA weep.

Before I could take note what was on the screen Emmett moved me into the recliner and turned it round so my back was towards them.

"Tell me what happened this morning Bella." Serious Emmett was in front of me so I decided to play nice and tell him. I told him what had been said and that I met Mr Jarvis when I'd shown him a property a few weeks before.

"Do you have his details?" Emmett was busy tapping on his phone as he asked question after question.

"Emmett what is going on?" I was getting scared. I had been preparing myself to brush the call off but he was starting to make me anxious.

"Nothing as far as I know Bella, I just need to make sure you are safe," the smile didn't quite reach his eyes and I knew he wasn't being completely honest with me.

"Okay, if that's how you want to play it, we will leave it at that, but just so there is no misunderstanding here, I want to go home NOW." I stood up and realized I still didn't have my flip flops on.

"Just give me a minute okay," he said, distracted. "I need to make a few calls and then we will get you home." He was already turning away from me, turning off the screens of two of the monitors. I wasn't quick enough to see what he was hiding but I had a good idea.

"Just wait here, I'll be right back" he said as he left the room, talking to someone on his phone.

I quickly moved to the monitors and felt for the switch, after a bit of fumbling around both of them burst into life. One showed my front door and the other focused on the lobby area of my building. I could see Alex walking around the lobby talking on his phone.

"No doubt talking to Emmett," I said to the wall. I turned off the monitors and sat back down. Emmett and Quil had been my safe haven but where was the distinction between some creep watching me on the street and these guys with a camera trained on my apartment. What the fuck is going on? Why am I being watched and how the hell had they got a camera outside my door?

Emmett POV

"Alex, how the fuck do we keep missing him? Who the hell is he? I was getting really pissed off with this Mr Jarvis. He was running rings around us.

"He is either very lucky or really organised," said Alex. "I watched her leave this morning, there was no one around and I even followed her to the deli, she was so hungover she never noticed me." He sighed and I could almost hear him shaking his head. "There was no one around. I would have spotted him."

"Well he was there wasn't he or he wouldn't have known what she was doing," I couldn't help but take it out on Alex. He had experience, this Mr Jarvis must have experience of his own to notice Alex tailing Bella and keep himself hidden. "We know from today that he isn't even worried about her having someone with her. We have to find this guy I have a really bad feeling about him."

"I have Paul working on tracing the calls she received this morning," said Alex. "Hopefully we will be able to get a location or even an identity on this guy."

I knew Bella had found the tracking device on her truck but as of yet she hadn't had time to realise I'd put a tracker in her phone. It was easy enough to do, when she went to the bathroom with Alice I made sure I lifted her phone from her bag, I had the back off and the tracker in before they had even reached the stalls. It was activated and on line before she was washing her hands. I had disagreed with Alex when he suggested 'tagging' her as such but I have an awful feeling it might just come in handy.

My next problem was how the fuck did I tell Edward about the latest development?

I made my way back to the security room, this is where the security team who watched over the clubs, Edward and now Bella worked. The screens were linked so the guys at each club could talk to each other as well as the team at Edward's home and now Alex and his team at Bella's apartment. She was still sitting in the chair I'd left her in but from the look on her face I knew she had either seen what was on two on the screens when she came in or she'd had a look while I'd stepped outside.

"Okay, we can deal with the why and how later Bella. For now I just need to make sure you are safe." She was still sulking but she nodded. I let out a breath and sat on the bed facing her.

"Until we know who this guy is and what he wants, we need to step things up a little," she nodded, almost imperceptible. She had been full of bluster at first but now she was pale and drawn, her skin ashen. "Myself or Quil will be with you at all times. By that, I mean with you, not sitting in the car watching from a distance. I'll makes sure that Alex has enough manpower that someone is always at the apartment or you could do us all a favour and just move in with Edward." She smiled wanly, assuming that I was joking. I wasn't really, it would make my life so much easier knowing she was safe in that fortress at night.

"What plans did you have for today?" I wanted to take her home to spend the day with me and Rosie but I knew she would baulk at that. Rosie wouldn't be that pleased either.

"Not much," she said, with a shrug of her shoulders. "I was planning to do laundry and some paperwork and maybe see if the girls fancied an early dinner." The Bella I was getting to know was making a comeback, the determination on her face showed she was ready to fight her corner.

"Okay, let me go and speak to Alex"

"I fucking knew he was one of yours," she narrowed her eyes at me. "He wasn't put in place by the building owner, was he?"

"Well actually he was, but that's another matter altogether." I couldn't tell her that the building's owners were in debt to Edward big style so he could basically do what he wanted there and that I'd had to stop him suggesting to them that they evict all the other residents so she lived there on her own.

I didn't think that it would go down too well at the moment.

I made a quick call to Alex and he assured me it was all clear. We talked about what was best to do with her but Alex was adamant she would be okay at her apartment. I felt bad making these decisions when she was sat in the room behind me, but that was nothing to what would happen if she came to any harm.

"Right Bella, let's get you home." I got her out of the building and into the car without any hassle. I walked her into the building and Alex was waiting for us. We both went upstairs, I asked her if I could just check the apartment, as soon as she agreed I did a quick sweep through before settling her in and listening as she locked and bolted the door.

As soon as we were downstairs in the lobby Alex pulled out a laptop from under the desk.

"Look at this Emmett," he said, clicking on a file that had been minimised, "the phone was registered to Mr John Jarvis but the address given doesn't exist, it's just a piece of derelict property on the outskirts of town. I managed to get into the providers database and lift the info they have on our Mr Jarvis but nothing checks out, all the info contradicts each other, it's as though whomever has created Mr Jarvis has been careful to make that there are no clues to who he actually is."

"So you are sure Mr Jarvis is a pseudonym? " I didn't understand why someone would suddenly start to stalk Bella but then again weren't we stalking her in our own way?

"It isn't just a made-up name Em," said Alex, and I could see that the implications scared him. "Everything about Mr John Jarvis is created. The worst part though, is that this identity was created maybe eighteen months to two years ago."

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So who is Mr Jarvis and what does he want with Bella? How do you think Edward will cope when Emmett informs him about the phone call?

Hope you enjoyed this and I will see you next week.

FIC REC – I have never done this before but this story is too good to miss, please go and check out Mods and Rockers by Michaelmas54 it is amazing.


	17. Chapter 17

TNMC

Chapter 17

I don't own these characters, I know Mrs M does, but the story is mine and no copyright infringement is meant.

EPOV

She said yes. Okay, she actually said 'that would be lovely,' but it's the same thing, right? I am taking Miss Swan to lunch. Finally, we could sit and talk, calmly, just the two of us. I could explain all the madness that was happening around her, tell her about Tanya and explain why I had taken so long to approach her. My divorce was on track and should be through within weeks. Suddenly the world felt a little bit brighter, the sidewalk a touch less grimy.

I'd taken a gamble walking into that diner this morning. Seth asked Quil where she was and as I was in the area on an unrelated matter it was too good an opportunity to miss. I sighed, now I had to get back to work. I needed to deal with a scum bag who was creating problems for me and then have brunch with my mother. In all honesty I wasn't sure which I was most wary of. My mother, I decided, after a moment. I could read another gangster wannabe like an open book but my mother's ceaseless scheming never ceased to surprise me.

As I got back into the waiting Range Rover I realised that I missed Emmett when I needed to go out on jobs like this. Seth was equally fast and deadly, but the sheer size of my brother was intimidating to start with, so I always had an advantage. The Rosie situation was playing back and forward in my mind. It was true that I was thinking about bringing Jasper closer, but nothing beats blood to know that somebody has got your back. What was his personal relationship going to do to our business relationship? Always more fucking problems to deal with in this business.

Caius Voltori was a small-time punk who was trying to establish himself selling arms out of a shit tip of a bar in the industrial district. He normally wouldn't even be on my radar. One of my men who looks after that district keeps an eye on things and I knew that he wasn't any form of competition. What I did care about was my excellent relationship with the local PD. They knew I was selling, I mean they're not fucking stupid. But they know that I wouldn't sell to kids or the local residents, all my hardware was mainly specialist and it went out of the country. So far, no weapon I had ever 'moved on' had ever been used on a job in the state. I knew that for a fact. This punk though was not only selling kit to the kids so that the gangs were shooting each other, he was portraying himself as a gangster, golden medallion, designed threads and renting guns out by the day. Hypocritical as it might be, I didn't want a crackdown by the law enforcement here. It would make things difficult for me. Not impossible, not with the governor in my pocket, but I needed this dealt with.

"Seth, are you sure the intel is good?" I asked as we pulled up outside the club.

"Yes, boss," he replied in terse tones, "can I just say I really would be happier if there were a few more bodies here." He was looking around and we watched as the scouts on the corners all disappeared in to the club to announce our arrival.

"Well, it certainly will be a little different to our recent visit to Mr Black. I grinned as I checked the three concealed firearms I carried were all loaded and ready to fire. Adrenaline was already coursing through my veins.

"Okay. if you're sure," he replied, his jaw set. "I'll go in first, stay behind me." He opened the car door for me.

"Not a fucking chance Seth," I told him with a grin that I suspected bordered on the manic. "I don't cower behind anyone." I had on my Kevlar super slim bullet proof vest. It was a head shot or nothing and if they were stupid enough to fire on me, well let's just say all hell would break loose.

I palmed the Beretta 92FS that was in my waistband and the extra fully loaded clip that was in my inside pocket. It was my favourite gun, the same one the cops used, and when I held it in my hand it literally felt like an extension of my arm. I loved my gun, it had saved my life on more than one occasion.

I pushed open the door and waited a split second before I entered. Caius had obviously taken over the place, there wasn't a regular punter to be seen anywhere, everyone in there wore the same gang colours.

"Boss are you sure," Seth whispered behind me.

"Fuck yes," I said loudly as I walked straight up to the bar and asked for a bottle of Scotch and several glasses.

The poor barman was terrified and he obviously wasn't sure whether to serve me or not. Now I keep a low profile in the city, I'm well known in the business circles and with the people who matter, but the general public wouldn't have a clue who I was. I don't advertise myself, I'm not on any fucking Top Ten lists and for me charity begins at home, fuck $1000 a plate banquets, if I want to support something I do it quietly and privately. For that reason I was intrigued. Did the barmen know me or was he just terrified someone had been stupid enough to come into the bar who wasn't part of the gang?

"You can serve the gentlemen Carl," said a voice with no body, "while I let Mr Voltori know he has a visitor."

I turned so my back was leaning against the bar and picked up the bottle and a glass. I poured a shot and took it back before placing everything back on the bar, I needed my hands free just in case.

It took several minutes before Voltori deemed to appear to see me. I fucking hate being kept waiting, so I'd already made my mind up on the outcome of the meeting. Driving over here I was toying with the idea of offering him a deal, he could work for me and I'd make sure he didn't lose face or he could leave the state and take his business elsewhere. Now he was going to be put out of business permanently.

"Seth," I said in a low voice, "find out who actually owns this building and let Emmett know I'm going to need some fireworks. The display is going to light up the sky."

Seth nodded and quickly made a call his eyes never leaving the guys who were all posturing as they tried to look calm and in control.

"Little fucking boys playing at being gangsters, its pitiful," I'd give him thirty seconds and then I was going to find him.

"Any news?" Seth shook his head and listened as whoever he was talking to passed on the information he 'd asked for.

I was going to enjoy seeing this shit hole go up in flames especially with these fuckers in it, but I wanted to see first if the gang owned the building or whether they had just muscled in on poor Carl's property.

"Mr Cullen, you are a long way out of your usual environment," the voice was loud and strong but I could tell from the almost imperceptible waver that he was nervous as hell. "What the fuck do you want with me?"

While I knew who Voltori was, I'd never met him before. I knew his father and had met him several times. I'd looked at the surveillance photos in his file on the way over, they didn't do him justice. While the rest of his men were dressed in casual street clothes and caps, he was dressed like the rich prep boy I knew he was. His father was a big-time attorney working for the state who was at his wits end with his wayward son.

His chinos and polo shirt were new, literally straight out of the packet, the fold lines clear to see. His hair had been hurriedly combed. I smiled, that explained why he had taken so long to come out of the back, he was getting changed. That information lightened my mood, he was trying to play with the big boys and not sure how to.

"Shall we sit down?" I gestured to a table near me and moved there taking the bottle and two glasses with me.

He nodded and sat down across from me.

"So," he said, a little too loudly given that I was sitting opposite him. "I ask you again, what do you want with me?"

I poured a shot for both of us, and knocked mine back without waiting for him. The loud voice was clearly to impress those listening. I could see that he didn't want to drink with me but he was also going to have to keep up his hard man act for everybody watching.

"Well," I said, in a calm voice. "It seems we have a small problem." He looked at me, inscrutable, but I noticed a bead of sweat gathering on his forehead. "I know what your business is. What you probably don't know is that what you are doing here is interfering with mine."

"How the fuck can I be interfering with your clubs?" He looked confused and I could see he was trying to figure out what was going on. His body language stayed neutral, he had clearly had coaching, however he was literally sweating. I could almost see the wet patches under the arms of his salmon pink polo seeping further into the fabric.

"Oh, you have no idea I know," I barked a short laugh, letting him know that it amused me to have information that he didn't. "But I'm asking you nicely this one time, close down your operation or I will close it for you."

I offered him a shot but he shook his head. I watched the expressions on his face change as he went through several though processes. Did I mean it? What would happen if he said no? What would happen if he said yes? What could I possibly do to him? Finally he settled on the fact that daddy would always get him out of trouble so his confidence re surfaced.

"I run a small-time operation and this bar," he gestured around the grotty little hole. "I can't see that it's any competition for you."

"Caius, do you have any idea who I am?" I hated saying that but sometimes it was all I needed. "Because I know exactly who you are. I know your daddy, your momma and your sisters. In fact, you should ask your daddy about me, I'm sure he'll be able to give you all the information you need."

I looked back at Seth and nodded to let him know we were leaving. As I stood up I looked back at Caius.

"I'll send someone over in the next few days, make sure you have destroyed all the hardware you have and I mean destroy not sell." I grinned, in my head it was shark-like. "And if you do that we'll see if we can find you another income stream."

I stood up and walked out before he could even answer me. The adrenaline was still pulsing through my brains and part of me was sad that I wasn't having to fight. As Seth and I got outside we listened as the shouting began, the gang weren't happy at being told what to do and they weren't happy at their so-called leaders' lack of action.

As soon as we got into the car and I was sure we couldn't be over heard I started planning

"Let's go," I told Seth. "I'll need someone to come by tonight and blow the place. Do we know who owns it?"

"Yes Boss," said Seth, pushing the gear stick into drive and pulling away from the kerb. "Carl the bar man owns the building but he is in debt to the gang for some reason, we're not sure what for yet but Paul is working on it with some of our people who live out this way."

"Does he live on the premises?"

"Yes, he does with his wife and daughters." My stomach tightened a little. I didn't want any collateral damage.

"Make sure someone calls them and tells them to get out before you blow the place. Is his insurance up to date?"

"Paul says no, he hasn't made a payment in three months, he also hasn't made any deposits into his bank account for the past three months either."

"So, they have stopped punters going in altogether then and are keeping the cash made from the business they are running out of there?" I sighed. I wasn't sure what they had on this bar owner but he was really fucked. I made a mental note to tell Emmett to bring the man's insurance premiums up to date, anonymously of course.

"Paul's intel also points to a new meth lab in the back of the building and that they are gearing up to supply locally."

"He's more fucking stupid than I thought," my hand was gripping the handrail on the door and I was so angry that my knuckles were turning white, "does he really think the Russians are going to let him supply in this city?"

"Maybe he thinks if he keeps everything small and local no one will notice?" Seth shrugged.

"They will fucking notice," I growled. "In fact," I continued, talking partially to myself, "it may be easier to just make a call to Stefan and just let him deal with it."

"You can boss but he won't give the family any notice, you know that."

"I know, what do they call it, collateral damage?"

The rest of my thought process was interrupted when my phone rang.

"Emmett."

"Edward," his voice was off and I knew something was off. "I need to speak to you urgently, where are you?"

My only thought was for Isabella "Is Isabella okay?"

"She's fine," he said, but the pause scared me, "our mystery man has been in touch"

"WHAT THE FUCK HOW DID HE EVEN GET NEAR HER, WHERE THE FUCK WAS QUIL?" Before I could even register what he was saying my fist smashed into the back of the seat in front of me.

"Edward," replied Emmett, in what he probably thought was a soothing tone, "he didn't get near her. He called her. Calm the fuck down and meet me back at the club."

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down," I yelled. "I'll calm down when you sort this fucker out, do you know who he is yet?"

"No, we don't."

I hung up before Emmett could say anything else, I really didn't want to hear it at the moment. I hit the seat several times, each time harder than the last, the plush soft seat cover protecting my knuckles from too much damage and pain.

"Seth we need to get to the club now," he was turning the SUV before I even finished telling him of my change of plan.

As my brain cleared and I started to get my thoughts back in order and dealt with my next problem, I was dreading the next phone call.

"Mother, I'm so sorry to do this but I'll have to take a rain check on brunch, something important has come up and I need to go into the office." I could almost hear my mother catching her breath, she obviously had people sitting with her and she would not react in front of them.

"But darling," she whined. "I have people with me I want you to meet." She spoke so sweetly but with so much poison underneath.

I didn't miss that she had said people and not person.

"Well I'm sure they will understand I'm a busy person." She is my mother I reminded myself as I sought to maintain a civil tongue.

"What is more important than having a small, quick, meal with your dear mother and a few of her friends' sweetheart?"

Now for anyone who knows my mother that one sentence and how she said it, well alarm bells were going off in every part of my brain. Whoever was with her was important and she had guaranteed them an audience with me.

"I'm sorry Mother," I replied, trying to sound as contrite as possibly just in case I was on speakerphone. "I may be able to get there in an hour or so if you all can wait, but I can't promise anything."

"Oh sweetheart of course we will wait for you," she gushed, "now make sure you get here soon."

With that she hung up, her gentle threat still ringing in my ears.

"The fucking women in my life cause far more trouble than everyone else put together," I murmured.

We pulled into the underground car park and I made my way to the security office.

Emmett was waiting for me, he was sat at the desk, two laptops on the go and he was talking on a headset to someone else. I could see from the screens that Alex was in the lobby of Isabella's building and he was also busily tapping away on a laptop. Listening to Emmett's conversation I could tell he was talking to Paul and they were having a three-way conversation with Alex.

For probably the first time since I was a child I was content to just sit and listen as the three most experienced men I employed worked together to try and find the mystery man who was following Isabella.

I kept an eye on the time as he finally turned to acknowledge me, he flicked a switch on the console so I could hear what was being said.

"The way I am reading this, the identity was established about two years ago and has been lying dormant until about eight weeks ago. Our Mr Jarvis, whoever he really is, has stepped into a readymade identity." Paul was busy typing away as spoke.

"How substantial is the back story?" I asked wondering if this was a government plan

"It's something I haven't seen before, it's substantial but chaotic, I'm not sure who the original author of the work is yet," he answered still never breaking his command of the keyboard.

"I've seen this before," I looked at the surveillance screen to see Alex looking at this laptop.

"Where" Emmett asked

"Give me a minute," he said as he played on the keyboard. He looked up at the camera so he knew we could see him.

"I know who created this identity."

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Thanks as always to LL for being an incredible beta, I'm learning so much from her.


	18. Chapter 18

TNMC

Chapter 18

EPOV

I sat in my office, an ever-present scotch by my side. How the fuck had things got so messed up in the space of a few weeks?

I had left my nerd department in full flow now they had an idea who had created the Mr Jarvis persona, they were peeling away the layers of secrecy so we could positively identify the creator and then hopefully, whoever the actual man following Isabella was.

"Shit," the phone ringing bought me back to the present. Mother." I had forgotten all about her.

"Sweetheart," she said without any preamble. "We are still waiting and it's been an hour, are you on your way?" The sweetness was purely for show, she knew I could sense the acid underneath, even over the phone.

"I'm just leaving now," I told her. "I'll be with you in twenty minutes." "SETH!" I sped towards the parking garage, straightening my tie and smoothing down my hair as I went.

"Boss?" He appeared as if by magic and opened the door for me.

"Mother is still waiting." It's all I need to say. He put the car into drive and pulled out of the car park with a squeal of tyres that left the sour taste of burning rubber in my mouth. We made it to the country club in 17 minutes, something I didn't know was physically possible.

"Thank you, Seth," I made a mental note to check out his resume. I knew that Emmett recruited people with certain skills but that drive had made me wonder exactly what Seth's skill set was. "You have just saved me from a shit load more grief, as if I haven't got enough coming at me anyway."

"You're welcome Boss," he didn't look at all flustered. "I'll grab a coffee and a bite and wait out here for you. "

I nodded and made my way inside the building. This place was close to my idea of hell. It was full of the rich and privileged, looking down and judging the 'new money' who were so busy trying to fit in they didn't notice they were treated as second class citizens. My mother was probably one of the worst, her money came from generations back so she was the unofficial queen of the country club. She loved the power and prestige as well as the notoriety she got from being married to Carlisle Cullen and being my mother. My mother was untouchable and she knew it, she used her power wisely and nobody, including my father and myself said an outright no.

I looked across to her regular table to see who she was so insistent I meet. I was surprised to see a high court supreme judge, his wife and daughter (marriageable age) and the Governor and his family (two daughters both also marriageable age). Whatever they wanted had to be important to be seen in public like this.

"Mother," I smiled at her and hoped that the insincerity wasn't too obvious. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, please forgive me." I dutifully bent to kiss the cheek she angled in my direction. She smelled of her signature rose laced fragrance, a scent that held mixed feelings for me,

"Oh, sweetheart I know what a very busy boy you are, you are forgiven this time." She smiled and I looked round the table as I took my seat. She quickly introduced everybody at the table and I dutifully shook hands and asked after various relatives or business enterprises.

"If you spoke to your poor mother more often," she trilled, "you would have known I'd invited these lovely people to have brunch with us."

Everybody at the table laughed on cue, polite little titters. I didn't smile. Her attitude was bordering on rude and it was making her guests uncomfortable. I was used to her but I would have to address her attitude in private, never in public of course.

"Have you all eaten?" I asked, politely. "Had you have been on time we could have ordered Brunch," she replied, "but it's now lunch time and I'm really not dressed for a luncheon." She patted her immaculate linen trousers.

"Mother I'm sure no one minds," she opened her mouth to protest but I cut her off. "Now, shall I organise menus and a round of mimosas? "

I rose from the table and quickly spoke to the server, asking him to inform the chef we would need the brunch menu as well as the lunch menu. He didn't bat an eyelid. What mother wants, mother gets

As I sat back down the wait staff were all over us, serving drinks and handing out menus, it wasn't until the three daughters present ordered soft drinks that I realised they weren't even old enough to drink. What was mother thinking? Did she think I liked them young or was she running out of suitable offerings?

Lunch was strained to say the least. Mother was annoyed, really annoyed and I would pay for that later. The Judge and the Governor obviously weren't expecting the other to be there and while the daughters knew each other they had no idea they were there as potential marriage material.

"Seth, back to the office please," I told him, as soon as I had stayed the minimum amount of time to appear respectful. "I need to see how the nerd department is getting on."

I looked through my emails and messages as he weaved through the traffic, when my phone rang I wasn't surprised.

"Mother."

"Edward," she barked, "that was a total disaster. I need you to find a wife, one that I approve of and quickly."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," I told her, trying to keep a lid on my temper, "but I'm not even divorced yet and if I remember rightly you were partly responsible for the disaster that was my marriage."

"That may be but do you know how embarrassing it is for me?" She sighed, as if the weight of the world was upon her shoulders. I knew all of her manipulations by now and braced myself for whatever guilt trip she was getting ready to lay on me. "Emmett is dating a nobody who is just about fit to serve in your club. Alice may have married well, but really, he is just a lowly lawyer. She could have had a billionaire or a senator. I need you to do it properly this time, a woman from a proper family, old money, spotless reputation, virgin if possible and eager to push out several heirs." "Are we talking about wives or brood mares?" I asked.

"Oh," she added, ignoring my sarcasm. "If she would be willing to help me out with my charity work that would be ideal."

"It sounds as though you need an assistant crossed with some breeding stock. Good luck with that. For the record Mother, I have no need of another wife so please concentrate on your charities and let me finalise my divorce."

I knew I wouldn't be allowed the last word so I waited for her comeback.

"Edward," she said, surprisingly softly this time. "You can have your fun, that's fine. I appreciate that Tanya may not have been the ideal wife." I snorted but she pressed on. "Cullen men need wives, that's a fact. You know that the lifestyle demands a family appearance and that starts with a wife."

As she hung up I couldn't help but think about Isabella, a wife, a proper family, children even. Was it even possible for me? The thought of Isabella meeting mother made me laugh out loud, startling Seth.

"You okay Boss?" He asked confusion written all over his face.

I nodded and settled back in my seat, my ever-present ringing phone disturbing my daydreams.

Emmett was waiting for me when we got back. I checked into the security room and Paul and Alex were busy going though lines and lines of code, they both acknowledged me and then went straight back to work. I could see Alex was still in the foyer of Isabella's building.

"Has Isabella left her apartment?" I asked him.

"No sir," he said checking the monitors on the desk in front of him, "she is still there and all is quiet."

I made my way to my office and Emmett was stretched out on the couch, "So, you have a lunch date today? "

"How the fuck do you know that?" He sounded a little irritated. I poured a scotch, today was becoming one of those days. "I spoke to Bella earlier," he retorted. Damn, he knew that would get my attention. "She wanted to know what was happening with our Mr Jarvis and she mentioned she saw you this morning for coffee. Very classy that Edward," his eye twinkled with mischief. "Catching her when she was hungover and her defences were low."

"You fucker," my voice rose theatrically but I couldn't help but suppress a smile myself, "she was perfectly sober when she agreed to lunch, and if she was a little hungover it's your fault from what I hear."

"We had a really good night," replied Emmett, "she got on really well with Alice, they're going to be great friends."

"How the fuck did Alice get in on the act?" Yet again my nearest and dearest seemed to see more of Isabella than I did.

"The usual way, she had been out to dinner with Jasper."

"So, she was hungry?"

"Yep," he nodded. "I had taken Bella to the bar, she wanted a night out and I thought it was better I went with her than just sit outside."

"Does Jasper know Alice was with you?"

"No," Emmett shook his head.

"Fuck we keep more secrets in this family from each other than we do the outside world."

"It's only because you told Jasper to keep Alice away from Bella," he pointed out. "You should have known Alice would seize on that straight away." I nodded accepting his explanation. An order to stay away would have piqued her interest immediately.

"So where are you going to take her for lunch?" Emmett asked as he slouched down on the couch.

"This is not a psychiatrist's therapy room you know, you could actually sit in a fucking chair."

He ignored me and smiled, looking at his phone

"I was thinking of taking her to that restaurant I booked before," I told him, suddenly compelled to let him know everything, "they have a private room so we could have some privacy"

"For fuck's sake Edward," he sat up, setting his phone down on the table. "Haven't you learnt anything about Bella? Some posh restaurants the last place you should take her, she would hate it, you need something informal and relaxed." He was really quite annoyed with me.

"Okay Mr Casanova," my tone was annoyed but he had somehow spent more time with Isabella than me and I need his help, "kindly explain to me where I can take her in this city? A place where I can keep her safe and away from the prying eyes of our competition and enemies, but at the same time be relaxed and comfortable and private." I knew that would stump him, there was nothing he could suggest.

"The ideal place to go is your place, you should arrange an informal lunch or a picnic in the garden. That way you can both relax and just concentrate on getting to know each other."

"Why the fuck would she want to eat finger food sat on a blanket when she could be having three-star Michelin cuisine?"

Before he could answer there was a knock on the door and Jasper walked in.

"Before you say anything I told her she wasn't to contact Isabella," he held his palms open in front of him in a gesture of peace. "It's not my fault she went looking for her brother and all that crap they eat when they are together."

He glared at Emmett before sitting down at the other end of the sofa, keeping a wary distance from Emmett.

"I know, Alice is Alice." I shrugged.

"We were discussing where Edward should take Bella for lunch now she has finally agreed to go out with him." Emmett explained so that Jasper was up to date.

"You finally talked to her?" he was clearly amazed.

"Fuck off the both of you." I was tired of people prodding my love life as if I was some lovelorn teenager.

"Well the big question is not where you take her, but have you given any thought to what you are going to tell her about the other side of your life?" Jasper was pulling a laptop out of his bag and texting as he spoke.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Well she will know you own clubs, obviously," he looked around at the décor of the club that we were in, "but she will have to know at some point you are the most powerful mob boss in this country"?

"Jasper are you fucking wearing a wire or something?" Emmett reached over and patted Jasper's chest.

"Get the fuck off you moron," he said swatting Emmett's hands away good naturedly.

I could understand Emmett's concern, as a rule we never ever said those words out loud, not even in the relative safe environment of my frequently swept, bug free office. I looked at Jasper, the look on my face stopping him in his tracks.

"Sorry Edward," his cheeks coloured a little, "that was careless and uncalled for. I was thinking out loud trying to plan ahead."

I nodded, he maybe my brother in law but he had only just been allowed into the inner circle. I looked at Emmett and he knew we needed to watch Mr Whitlock for a while more just to be sure of his loyalty.

"Anyway, we don't need to worry about that," said Emmett, snatching his phone up from the table as a message from Rose flashed up on the screen. "Bella already has an idea."

"What the fuck do you mean, she already has an idea?" My blood pressure was on the rise again, I could feel the blood racing around my body as it tried to keep pace with my heart.

"Well before she even spoke to me, she had clocked the surveillance. She took photos of a couple of the cars and had her police chief dad run the plates. As you can imagine as soon as they popped up on the computer the Feds rang him to ask why he was checking."

"And she told you this when?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"The first time I took her out for something to eat." He was so engrossed in his phone that I don't think that he realised how angry I was. "She asked me why we were following her and when I played dumb she told me she knew we were part of the Cullen family. I don't she has any idea you are the head of the family though."

"when all of you have quite finished," I was clinging onto calm by my fingertips, "do you think you could actually leave something for me to talk to her about? "My sarcasm was completely wasted on Emmett and Jasper.

"You'll be fine Edward, just be your normal charming self." Emmett cracked up laughing. Jasper started to laugh as well until I shot him a look.

"Come on Edward you have to admit, that was funny." Jasper was still trying not to laugh.

"it's decided then, you'll take Bella to your place," said Emmett, once he was able to talk again. "Alice can set up somewhere for you to sit and I'll arrange the picnic basket, all you after do is call her and actually set up the date."

"You think I'm going to let you organise our lunch? Fuck that Emmett, I'm not going to sit and watch her face as she is served burger and fries." As I said the words I saw the image in my head of the cheesy fries sat in my lap.

"Okay," I said, mellowing as they stopped laughing at me, you can arrange the food but you run it past me first?" He nodded and stood up.

"Right I'm off to see how Paul is getting on, have we decided whether you're telling her who you really are or not?"

"No," both Jasper and I said at the same time.

"No, you haven't decided or no you are not going to tell her?"

"No I haven't decided," I said.

"No," said Jasper, firmly and almost simultaneously. He's not going to tell her."


	19. Chapter 19

TNMC

Chapter 19

First let me apologise, I think this is the first time I've ever missed a week posting. Technical Issues I'm afraid, new laptop is ordered and should be here this week. Let's hope it limps along long enough with this repair to post.

No copyright infringement meant, I know Mrs Meyer owns the characters, I'm just playing with them.

BPOV

"Isabella Swan speaking." It was only 10.00am and I was already out and about, standing in a lovely newly built property trying to convince the builder to let me market it. "How may I help you?" The words might have slipped out in the same professional manner that I always answered the telephone yet I found myself holding my breath wondering who was going to be on the other end of the line. I wouldn't admit it to anyone out loud but Mr Jarvis had shaken me. In my career I had to be accessible. I couldn't avoid unknown numbers as each one could be a new client or prospective buyer. I'd blocked the number he called on last time but it was so easy to pick up a new unregistered phone I had no way of avoiding any future calls. My hand compulsively went to my pocket, where the Taser that previously lived in my pocketbook was now more likely to reside. I fingered it nervously as I waited for the caller to identify themselves.

"Good morning Isabella, how are you today?" The voice was smooth and icy clear and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Edward! Good morning. I'm fine, how are you?" I couldn't keep the smile out of my voice as I answered. Some of my pleasure was undoubtedly relief however I was genuinely pleased to hear from him.

"I'm well thank you," he paused, a pregnant awkward silence before he rushed on with the real purpose of the call, "I wondered if you were available to have lunch with me today?"

The invitation took me by surprise. I knew I'd agreed to have lunch with him but I was expecting a little more notice. Perhaps some time to pick out some nice clothes instead of my standard work suit for a start.

"Erm okay," I said, flicking through my pocketbook to check that I had powder, lipstick and mints, "it's short notice but I'm sure I can sort something. Where were you thinking? I can meet you there."

He was quiet on the end on the line and I wondered if I'd offended him somehow.

"If you have other plans Isabella I'm sure I can rearrange my appointments over the next few days and sort another time out." His tone was hard to define, I wasn't sure whether he was trying to bite back the sarcasm or he was genuinely trying to be understanding, something that obviously didn't come easy to him.

"I'm free today," I said firmly, "and I would love to have lunch with you." Okay, perhaps that was a bit over the top, I really would have liked a bit of notice, but I'm trying here as well as him.

I heard him let out of a huge breath and I couldn't contain my smile, I wasn't the only one nervous and unsure in this conversation.

"I'll pick you up at 1.30pm. Where will you be?"

"Oh, come on Edward, you can do better than that, I thought you knew where I was every minute of the day?" I was trying to be funny but my nerves made it sound almost confrontational.

"Isabella, you know they are only looking out for you, they aren't spying on you," his reply was curt and I could hear the exasperation building in his voice.

I took a few seconds before I answered, I didn't want to get into another shouting match with him. I had so many questions I wanted answering about Edward, his family, his real occupation, even what he and Emmett knew about Mr Jarvis. The list was endless and I wouldn't get anything If he was angry with me.

"I will be checking on the penthouse" I told him "I haven't been for a few days so I need to make sure everything is ok. Would you rather I meet you somewhere?" I really wanted to drive myself just in case I stormed off. Let's be honest, based on our track record the chances of that were quite high.

"No, I would like to pick you up."

"That's fine but can you let me know where we are going, I would like to make sure I'm dressed appropriately." If I knew where we were going I could maybe take my truck there and leave it just in case.

"I'm sure you'll look fine whatever you are wearing," he paused, as if not used to sharing information. "If you must know I have reservations at a restaurant I use a lot for business meetings., It has a private room where we won't be disturbed or overheard,"

I couldn't help but groan, it was going to be some up-market, deathly quiet place where I'd be faced with a table full of cutlery, glasses and very little food.

"I heard that groan Isabella," his tone was cold, "do you have a problem with eating in a highly recommended, three Michelin star restaurant with a waiting list that is months long?" I could hear the quiver in his voice as he battled to keep the level down and his anger in check.

"I was hoping you would choose something a little more relaxing and less stuffy, maybe the restaurant Emmett took me to or the diner I love." I held my breath waiting for the explosion I fully expected.

"Isabella, why the fuck would I take you to a greasy diner or some poky little hole that serves plates of watery pasta and passes it off as authentic Italian cuisine? If I wanted authentic I'd take you to Italy, but I don't have time for that today so my usual restaurant is the next best thing." The pitch in his voice was on the rise and I knew that with one more push he would probably, start shouting at me.

"Okay Edward," I replied hastily, "but I'm warning you that I won't be relaxed in that sort of establishment. "

"For fucks sake Isabella, it's just a building they serve food in," he laughed "the difference being that the food there is actually palatable. I'll pick up you at 1.30, until then have a good day."

With that he was gone. I sighed, resigned to my fate and looked down at my outfit. If the restaurant was the one I thought it was I should try and get changed but I really didn't have time. My favourite blue suit was at the cleaners so I was wearing another outfit. The black trousers were tailored and smart, clean on today so I hadn't had the chance to spill anything down them yet. The blouse was cream and almost sheer, high neck but sleeveless. I pushed the flimsy fabric against my breasts and squinted until I was reassured that my black and cream flowered bra was barely visible. I usually wore a jacket to match but it was unseasonably warm today so I hadn't bothered. Luckily, I had a thin black pashmina in my truck I could wrap around my shoulders if I needed to.

The morning passed quickly and rather disappointingly as I didn't manage to get a signature from either meeting so as I made my way to the penthouse I was determined that lunch was going to go well. I quickly checked in with Alfie on the security desk and did a walk round of the penthouse. I was so glad it hadn't sold yet. I would miss it even though I could do with the commission it would generate. I needed to really put some time and effort into marketing this place. I knew I hadn't given it my usual effort but if I didn't do something soon the owners would be looking for someone else to sell it.

A loud knock on the door startled me I looked down at my watch. 1.10pm. I didn't have time to show someone round if I was going to meet Edward. I walked over to the door then stopped, my hand on the door. It could be Alfie or perhaps Emmett or Seth, yet the last encounter with Mr Jarvis was still fresh in my mind. I stood on my tiptoes and peered through the spy hole. Imagine my surprise when I was met with the sight of Edward and a large wicker hamper.

"You're early," I told him, as I opened the door, "I was just going to lock up and meet you in the foyer." He walked through the door and past me in to the kitchen area. He had something in his arms and as he sat it on the counter I saw that it was an enormous wicker basket.

"Before I unpack lunch Isabella," he said, lifting the lid and peering into the cavernous interior, "do you have another viewing booked here or somewhere else this afternoon?"

"No, I'm done for the day," I said, "I'm all yours."

"If only," he mumbled as he turned back to the basket. My cheeks flushed a little, suddenly aware of the implications of my turn of phrase.

"Would you like some help? He was stood staring into the basket and he seemed to be at a loss for what to do next. He looked round the room and I could see the panic mounting on his face.

"There's is no dining table? "He said the words like a question although the answer was obvious given the open plan living area.

"No." He was looking at the contents of the basket.

"I can compromise, it's not that fucking difficult," he muttered as he started to remove wrapped parcels from the basket. The smells were delicious. I ventured a little closer. "We could sit by the window and look at the view while we eat, "I suggested, here are a couple of throws in the linen cupboard we could sit on."

He nodded, clearly relieved and grabbed the basket.

I fetched the throws and laid them on the floor in front of the big windows. Luckily there were some cushions in there as well. I slipped off my shoes and sat and waited for him to join me on the floor. I tried to keep my smile at bay as he attempted to set down the basket and find a comfortable position to sit down. It was obvious Mr Cullen did not spend much time sitting on the floor.

"Would you like some help setting up lunch?" I asked as he spent a couple of minutes moving things round in the basket but not actually unpacking anything.

"No," he muttered, I run two huge fucking businesses. I 'm fucking sure I can manage to organise a lunch that is supposed to be all in this fucking over grown lunch box." I could see the colour rising up his neck as things didn't go according to plan.

Finally, he unearthed two crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne. He opened the bottle like a professional and as the cork flew off with a resounding POP I watched as he physically relaxed a little. He handed me the glasses and poured the golden bubbles into them.

"Isabella," he said as he took his glass from he and clinked them together. I took a sip of the rich liquid and felt the bubbles bursting on my tongue, my taste buds were screaming as the crisp dry liquid flowed over them. I couldn't help but groan as the flavour exploded in my mouth. I didn't realise I'd closed my eyes until I heard Edward groan, my lids shot open just in time to see him lick his lips and loosen his tie.

"Why don't you take off your jacket and tie and relax while I sort this out. "I got onto my knees and looked into the hamper.

"Would you mind?" He grimaced and flashed me a self-deprecating smile. "I'm not quite what is actually in there." I could see it had taken quite a lot for him to actually admit that so I just nodded and started to sort things out.

A couple of minutes later I had worked out there was a compartment that had crockery and cutlery in it as well as several napkins. I even found a cruet set and a bottle of salad dressing. As I started to unpack the food, I found pate, several different salads and cheeses, breads, crackers, olives and a game pie. I laid everything out on the blanket and offered to serve him but he declined and told me to help myself while he topped up our glasses.

"So, Edward I take it this is a first for you?" I asked as I spread an amazing rich pate on some crackers.

"Isabella, you have no idea," he looked at the champagne for a moment, observing the bubbles as they rose to the surface. "This is the first time I have ever eaten while sat on the floor. It's also the first time I've arranged a picnic and the first time I've asked someone to lunch who wasn't part of a business meeting." He finally took a bite of the incredible game pie.

"Are you trying to tell me you have never taken your wife to lunch?" No point shying away from the fact, I knew he was married and I needed him to know I knew.

"Two things." I nodded my encouragement. "I know you know I'm married but I hope you realise my divorce is nearly complete. My marriage is very much over. Sadly. I never had occasion to ask my ex-wife to join me for lunch. The only time we actually went out together was to attend a function we needed to be seen at or if the housekeeper was off and hadn't managed to leave us something to eat." He heaped a huge spoon full of cous cous salad onto his plate along with several olives and a helping of pasta salad.

"Are you telling me you have never ordered pizza and sat on the floor eating it while watching a movie?" I asked, my second slice of game pie paused halfway to my mouth, "because I don't believe that for a moment."

"I have eaten pizza and Chinese takeout, just not since college." He tucked into the pasta salad with gusto. "As soon as I graduated I moved into my own house and had staff so my meals were made for me." he almost looked a tiny bit ashamed as he helped himself to another slice of pie and refilled our glasses.

"Well as lovely as this is," I said, wiping pie crumbs off my chin with a napkin rather than the back of my hand as I would usually have done, "nothing beats a huge deli sandwich with pickles and chips, a can of soda and a good box set on the screen while sitting around in your pyjamas."

"Are you telling me you would rather eat that then say a fillet steak with all the trimmings cooked by a world-renowned chef?" He was genuinely incredulous.

"I'd rather have a steak cooked on the grill on my deck, the way I like it." We both continued eating for a moment as I tried to go back to the topic of his wife.

"Emmett said it was an arranged marriage, is that true?" I needed to know what was happening if this was going to go any further.

"Yes it was arranged." He looked at me intently as if willing me to understand. "My father and her father are very close friends and we grew up together. I suppose it was always expected we would get together. We relied on each other and suddenly one day we were engaged and the next minute I was stood at the end of the aisle as five hundred people watched us say I do."

"Do you have children?" I said the words casually yet I could feel the muscles in my chest constricting, my torso taut and tense waiting on a response.

"I would love a family someday," he sighed, picked up a napkin and dabbed the corners of his mouth politely with it. When he continued his voice was quiet. "Tanya and I quickly realised we weren't in anyway compatible in the bedroom department, in fact after the first ten months we moved into separate wings of the house."

"How long?"

"Several years," he snapped, cutting me off. "Now can we please talk about something else?"

I wasn't sure what he didn't already know, no doubt he had already found out the basics, but I settled back and as I started on the miniature cheesecakes and the strawberries I told him all about me he listened, really listened. Several hours later after all the champagne and food was long gone I realised Edward Cullen had another side to him. More importantly I realised that I quite liked it.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	20. Chapter 20

TNMC

Chapter 20

No copyright infringement meant, I know Mrs Meyer owns all this.

I know it's probably pointless by now but there is a lot of bad language in this chapter as Edward is forced out of his comfort zone.

EPOV

"How the fuck do people consider this enjoyable?"

I wasn't talking to anyone specifically, just trying to get my head round the fact that once again I'd cancelled my reservation a three Michelin star restaurant. I sighed, even I would have to grovel and scrape to get that private room booked again any time soon. Clearly I'm not totally insensitive, it was impossible to miss the disappointment in Isabella's voice when I mentioned where I had booked for lunch. How anyone cannot want to experience the best money can buy I'll never know. However, as Emmett reminds me frequently it's about what Bella wants. So, instead of a delectable lunch served by attractive and attentive servers I had picked up a hamper from an exclusive deli. Instead of silver service I would be serving lunch myself. Unfortunately I'd had to tell Alice why I needed the picnic. Luckily, as soon as she realised it was for Bella she was quite helpful, giving me suggestions for what food to order as well as where to get it from.

As Seth dropped me off at the apartment complex I had a good luck at the security features. The place was relatively new, built around five years ago. With a little upgrading the building could be a nice little investment. The penthouse would make a great place to stay over in when I was in town late. It was definitely nicer than the sofa in my office. I made a note to get Jasper to make some enquiries into the details without letting Bella know I was interested. I didn't want to give her the wrong impression, I knew she was the only agent involved at the moment but it wouldn't be long before the owners started to get restless.

I made my way upstairs after making sure from the doorman she didn't have a client with her. I was hoping she would appreciate the fact that I had listened to her. This was a big deal for me. I don't think I had ever had a picnic before and I wasn't ever this spontaneous. I liked order and a controlled environment, in my profession I needed to be organised and the people around me had to understand that. As I stood in the elevator I couldn't help but think about the conversation Jasper, Emmett and I had had in the office. What would I tell her if she asked me about my real life? Did she already know who I really was? How much had she guessed? What had her father been able to tell her?

I took comfort in the fact she had agreed to this lunch so that had to be a start. I hoped this meant that she was happy to find out about me for herself.

With the heavy hamper in my hand I tried the handle before realising it was locked. I had only been there twice but it had seemed a natural, almost familiar movement. I paused, the strangest feeling of coming home washing over me like a rush of déjà vu. I smiled as I thought about what it would be like to come home to Isabella every night. I froze, my hand raised to knock. Where the fuck had that thought come from? This woman was getting to me. I took a deep breath, straightened my already perfectly knotted tie and knocked on the door.

She seemed pleased to see me, which was a good start. She was definitely surprised when I walked past her and placed the hamper on the kitchen counter. I needed to establish how much time we had so I could let Seth know what was happening as he was currently waiting downstairs.

"Before I unpack lunch Isabella do you have another viewing booked here or have somewhere else to be this afternoon?"

"No, I'm done for the day," she said, adding, "I'm all yours."

Before I could stop myself I heard, "If only," slip out of my mouth. I looked around hoping she hadn't heard me.

She flushed but didn't mention my comment. She saw me struggling with all of the bits and pieces packed into the basket and offered to help, a godsend because I was way out of my comfort zone. I would have been more relaxed at the restaurant or even at the fucking country club. I looked round and realised there wasn't even a table and chairs.

What the fuck was I thinking? I was sure that a bead of sweat was starting to form on my forehead as my mind blanked. Fucking Emmett, I thought, I'm going to kill him, this is all his fault, why the fuck did I listen to him? A picnic, a fucking picnic? Why weren't we sat in luxury in a private room in a restaurant being waited on hand and foot?

"We could sit by the window and look at the view while we eat," Bella said, snapping me out of my own head. "There are a couple of throws in the linen cupboard we could sit on." Her mention of the cupboard space in the house made me a little uncomfortable. Was she thinking about the first time we had been here when Emmett and I had locked her in a cupboard? I just nodded. She seemed fairly sure of what she was doing so I tried to relax and just go with the flow. How could she be so calm about this? She spread the blankets out in front of the window and added a few cushions. I moved the hamper onto the floor and tried to get comfortable. For the first time in years I thought about what I was wearing. It would be so much easier to have a pair of jeans and a t-shirt on. I hadn't worn either garment since college, but sitting here in my three-piece suit and tie was not going to be comfortable.

"Would you like some help setting up lunch?" she asked. I knew she felt sorry for me.

"No, I run two huge fucking businesses, I'm fucking sure I can manage to organise a lunch that is supposed to be all in this fucking over grown lunch box." I knew as soon as the words left my lips I shouldn't have said that. I 'd let my guard down, she didn't need to see this side of me. I took another deep breath and tried to calm myself. I found the champagne flutes and the bottle of 1996 Don Perignon champagne I specifically requested. Now, opening champagne bottles is something that I am very comfortable with. I opened the bottle in one slick movement with a satisfying pop.

I poured us both a glass and watched as she sipped hers. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back as she savoured the taste. She looked glorious, her hair long and flowing and a blush across her cheeks as the alcohol hit her system. I wanted to reach across and touch her skin, stroke my fingers across the blush on her cheeks and follow it all the way down to her perfectly sized chest. She groaned as the flavour coated her mouth. That groan was my undoing, it may have entered my body through my ears but it rushed through my veins and arteries to every extremity. My fingers, toes, the tip of my ears and nose all flushed as my body reacted. I swallowed heavily as I willed my dick to stay soft. The last thing I needed was to come in my pants like a schoolboy.

I loosened my tie, the collar suddenly feeling too restricting, I licked my lips wondering what the champagne would taste like if I licked it off her skin.

"Why don't you take off your jacket and tie and relax while I sort this out?" Her words bought me out of my daydream and back into the room.

She sorted everything out quickly and before long we had quite a spread in front of us. I'd left the selection of items to the deli, telling them it was for a lunch with my wife. I knew I was technically lying but If I have my way she will be eventually. I was surprised I'd already started to think of her as my wife, my divorce wasn't complete yet, but it was close enough.

I'd taken off my jacket and tie at her request and as we settled down to eat she asked me question after question, a lot of it was about Tanya and our life together. I understood her need to know so I tried my best to stay calm and answer her as truthfully as I could. I was grateful she stayed on the easy topics at the beginning, talking about Tanya was easy for me because I had absolutely no feelings for her whatsoever. Any friendship had long since died and while part of me was sympathetic and understood her need for companionship and even intimacy, she had made a fool of me. Bringing her lovers into our home was the final straw.

As the afternoon wore on I finally managed to start to get to know the real Isabella. She told me about her childhood and her father the police chief. I kept the smile of my face as she went to great lengths to let me know he was chief in a tiny town called Forks. Of course, I knew all this from the work my PI had done. I knew pretty much everything about her, even her SAT score. My mood dived a little as I realised I would rather have heard it all from her but what was done was done and I needed to enjoy getting to know her now.

I asked her about her college years and I was just getting up the courage to ask her about her love life when she beat me to punch.

"You have never asked me if I'm involved with anyone Edward. Do you think you can just scare any boyfriends I have off?"

The question confused me a little because in all the reports I received about her, never once were there any guys mentioned.

"I was under the impression you were single," I answered, carefully, "if you aren't why are you here having lunch with me?" My heart rate rose. That assumption suddenly seemed very fragile, something delicate that she could take from me with a single flippant statement.

"As it happens Edward I am single." She took a sip of the champagne, setting the half full glass carefully down on the throw. "The question is why am I having lunch with you?"

"Well," I took a large mouthful of game pie, giving myself time to balance my words, "hopefully because you want to get to know me." I looked at her, meeting her eyes. If I wanted her honesty I needed to at least attempt to be honest myself. "The real me. Not the loud, foul mouthed person who has so far not made a very good impression."

"I have to admit I'm intrigued Edward," she said, dropping her eyes. "I adore your sister already and Rosie and Emmett are both amazing," she looked up at me through her long lashes, the look on her face somewhat flirtatious. "Given that you are related to two out three of them suggests that you must have some good genes in there somewhere."

"So you've met Rosie then?" I was even more confused. Yet another person who had spent more time with her than me. "I have to admit I don't really know her."

"Edward!" Isabella sounded genuinely shocked. "She's going to be your sister in law sooner or later, how can you not know her?"

"I only found that out a few days ago," I sighed and ran my hand across my hair, checking compulsively that it was still neatly slicked back. It suddenly seemed really important that she didn't think badly of me, "how the fuck do you know about that?" My family seemed to have taken Isabella into the hearts already, I suppose that was a good sign, the only obstacle I could see was my mother.

"If you had taken the time to see them together you couldn't miss the fact they are meant to be together." She looked a little dreamy. "Those two are made for each other, I have no doubt they will be together forever."

"You are a romantic then are you Miss Swan?" I couldn't help but smile. "Are you waiting for your prince to come along and sweep you off your feet?" I could feel the smile start to fade. I couldn't help but think I was as far removed from a prince as you could get, I was a killer and ran a huge mob family, not your everyday hero.

"I'm not some naïve silly woman Edward," her tone was teasing but I was sure that she was a little indignant. I know fairy-tale princes don't exist. What I do know is before I give anyone my heart I have to be 100% sure I can trust them, that means no secrets, no lies and definitely no cheating. I'm afraid I don't do second chances, mess with me once and you'll regret it."

As I smiled and saluted her with my glass I couldn't help but think about the conversation I'd had with Jasper and Emmett about telling her about my true occupation. Once she was my wife I could tell her everything because she couldn't give evidence against me but until then, well that was another matter.

The rest of the afternoon flowed by effortlessly. I don't know whether it was my natural charm, wit and irresistibility, or the extra bottle of champagne I had Seth fetch, but we talked about everything and anything. We discussed books, cinema, theatre, politics and religion. The last two were a little risky but we were surprisingly compatible in our beliefs. I felt free and relaxed. In fact for the first time in a very long time I, felt my actual age instead of the boring middle-aged man I sometimes felt I had become prematurely. This woman definitely bought the best out in me and I liked it.

We finally said goodbye around 6.00pm. I tried to get her to go somewhere to have dinner with me but she had plans with her friends so as disappointed as I was, I stayed calm and walked her to her truck. It was the most grotesque thing I'd ever seen, but I took solace in the fact it was so well built it must be virtually indestructible. As I opened the door for her, she stopped and turned towards me.

"Surprisingly I've had a really good afternoon," before I could make a flippant comment she looked me square in the eyes. "Thank you."

"I had a wonderful time too, Isabella." It wasn't in my nature to gush but I had to try to let her know how amazing the day had been for me.

"You know Edward," she said, "you can call me Bella along with the rest of my friends."

"I think I'll carry on with Isabella, if you don't mind."

"Don't you want to be my friend?" I could see the clouds gathering in her eyes as she got ready to be angry with me.

"Isabella, I am going to be so much more to you than a friend." I didn't give her chance to respond, I leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth before turning away and walking towards Seth and my car.

As we pulled away from the kerb she was still standing by her truck. I nodded as I passed her and I couldn't help but roar with laughter as I caught her flip me the finger. This was going to be so much fun.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thank you to LL for getting this back to me, you make my words so much better.

To the reviewer who asked me what the hell game pie was, well its a very English dish I guess, a pastry top and bottom and the filling different layers of game meat. Things like partridge, pigeon, pheasant, venison etc. It all set with a heavy jelly and its absolutely gorgeous, so long as you are not a veggie .


	21. Chapter 21

TNMC

Chapter 21

 **No copyright infringement meant.**

EPOV

As Seth pulled smoothly away from the kerb and into the stream of traffic my laughter finally subsided. The feel of her lips against mine lingered, a whisper light touch that I savoured more than the fine champagne that we had just shared. I felt different. I felt alive and energised and I knew it was down to Isabella. Somehow the girl that didn't want my extravagant gifts or Michelin starred dining had brought a breath of fresh air to my very organised, sterile existence.

"You okay Boss?" asked Seth, looking at me in the rear view mirror just a touch too long.

"I'm fine thank you Seth." I knew he was dying to make a comment but that he wouldn't. No one would dare make any sort of flippant remark, with the exception of Emmett.

"Have you had a good afternoon?" he asked, taking a slightly different tack. I could see he was looking at my open shirt collar, I don't think he had ever seen me without my tie carefully knotted in place. I thought for a moment that a smile lurked behind his professional visage.

"I've had an excellent afternoon thank you," I said briskly, letting him know that the boss was back, "now let's get back to business. What the fuck has been happening?"

Seth's demeanour changed instantly, he knew we were back in work mode.

"Emmett called," he said, sliding the SUV down a side street to avoid a blockage ahead. "The fireworks are set for tonight. There was no way we could reinstate the insurance cover in time so as not to raise suspicion, so he spoke to Stefan and while they weren't really interested in helping, as soon as they realised Volturi was gearing up to supply on their patch they changed their mind."

"So someone will warn Carl beforehand?"

"Yes," he affirmed with a nod and a breath that I hadn't known I was holding leaked out, "Emmett has arranged to give them a call so they have an hour to get out."

"An hour," I replied. It wasn't long but we couldn't give him much more notice in case Volturi became suspicious. "Have someone call me and let me know when everything is done."

For the sake of appearances Carl and his family would have to be homeless for a few weeks. However, I had already decided that in due course I would set him up as the manager of one of my bars. He didn't deserve what had happened to him. From what we could understand, one of his daughters had turned down the advances of Caius so the gang had moved into the bar and taken over. It looked as though the low life had just taken the daughter anyway as my people couldn't find out what had happened to her. It explained why Carl was reluctant to leave his bar. I had a full-scale search on at the moment to try and find his young daughter. I had seen what happened to women who ventured too close to the Volturi.

"Make sure they get any help they need, medical, financial or otherwise." I hated the thought someone could hurt an innocent young woman.

Seth nodded and I finally looked at my phone for the first time in several hours. Thirty missed calls, several text messages and even more emails. I groaned as I trawled through them, ruthlessly deciding which needed my attention and which could be deleted.

"Mother?" I barely let her say hello. "You called me?"

"Edward," she moaned, "where have you been all afternoon, I tried to call you. Twice." The underlying venom was barely disguised.

"Mother," I said, in the best approximation of manners that I could muster, "I have two organisations to run, one far more time consuming than the other. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I wondered if you had had anymore thoughts about what we talked about," her voice turned sunny and sweet, the wheedling sound of a schemer. "I'm seeing Alistair Garrett tomorrow for lunch and I want you to join us."

"Mother why would you want to lunch with the Governor again, you only saw him a few days ago." I knew why, but I was going to make her say it.

"Edward, I made a terrible error in judgement inviting both families at the same time." An error in judgement? It was definitely a surprise to hear those words coming from my Mother. "I thought that you could have made a decision for yourself but that seems so crass.".

"You're right," I told her, "plus I'm not going from one marriage straight into another."

"That's right, dear," she agreed, but her voice became distant, she'd already gone onto another subject. She needed the governor to stop some bill going through because it interfered with one of her charities. I pitied him, he really didn't stand a chance, she had so much influence with the country club set she could actually cause problems with his re-election. Still, if the issue with her charity was going to take her focus away from finding me a new wife all the better, so I made noises of vague encouragement and support.

As we arrived back at my office I needed to check in with the nerd squad. Alex had been working flat out since he was the one who thought he recognised the signature work of the identity. That worried me slightly that as he was ex special forces. For him to recognise the work could mean involvement at a really high level, government, military or a really sophisticated criminal faction. I'm not sure which worried me most. I make a quick call to Jenks and ask him to re check her background as well as her father's. Perhaps we had missed something that had made her a target?

"Good evening gentlemen, how are you all ?" As ever Emmett and Paul were on the laptops and Alex was on the screen in Isabella's building. Emmett turned and looked at me, his eyebrows were scrunched up as he studied my face. He took his time, searching my face for something specific.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" I snarled, pissed off at being put under such scrutiny.

"Well for a moment there I thought you'd got laid this afternoon, but obviously not," he turned back to his laptop, clearly pleased with himself. I had to stop myself from smashing the butt of my gun into the back of his head. He may be my brother but that was out of order especially in front of my staff. The gasps from Paul and Alex came with split second timing. Both of them looked down at the keyboards and tried to pretend they weren't witnessing my anger.

"Gentlemen," I said smoothly. "Excuse us please. Emmett?" He looked up. "My office. Now." I left the security office and made my way up to my office. As soon as he walked through the door I pointed my Beretta at him.

"If you were anyone else on this planet I would blow your fucking brains out for what you just said to me," I was shaking with anger and I knew it wasn't going to pass easily.

"Come on brother," he grinned, albeit slightly uneasily, "I was only joking. You know I didn't mean any harm." He stood with his arms out towards me tying to appease me.

"Not good enough Emmett," I yelled. "I won't tell you again, just because you are my brother doesn't mean you can disrespect me in front of my staff. Next time I'll just blow your fucking brains out." He dropped his head and I could see a flush spread across his cheeks. "Now get the fuck back to work and find the psycho stalking my wife." I realised what I'd said instantly.

He raised his head again and this time his trademark smiled spread across his face, despite the fact that I was still pointing a gun directly at him. "So, Bella is going to be my sister in law after all." The gun suddenly felt heavy in my hand and I lowered it. "Yes!" He turned and walked out leaving me stood there. I sat down heavily in my leather chair, leaving the gun on my desk. What was that woman doing to me? I couldn't even discipline my brother properly.

I booted up my lap top but all I could think about was Isabella. She was invading my mind all the time and today had just proved to me how right I'd been at our very first meeting. Before I could talk myself out of it I picked up my phone and dialled her.

"Well Hello Edward," she answered. It made me happy that she had saved my number in her phone, "this is a nice surprise, twice in one day."

"I wanted to thank you for this afternoon," I told her. "I had a wonderful time and I wondered if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?" My voice sounded foreign, too formal. I cursed myself internally. I wasn't ever going to be the type of man who could gossip in low tones over the telephone.

"So soon?" Her tone was teasing. Somehow I felt that she understood that my brusqueness was just a mannerism and forgave me for it. "Can you handle me two days in a row?"

I groaned as I pictured handling her. "I might be lacking in experience of courting someone Isabella but I assure you I'm a quick learner and I'll be up to speed before you know it." She laughed freely in response and I couldn't help but smile. "You haven't answered my question Isabella; do you want to go out for dinner with me?"

"I would love to Edward, but can I please pick the restaurant?"

I knew what was coming and I tried to stay calm, it was going to be a fucking hot dog cart or some greasy diner with chipped Formica tables and plastic menus.

"Only if I can stipulate that it has to at least have a maitre'd and a wine list."

I could hear her laughing and the sound went straight to my cock.

"I'll pick you up at seven," I told her as I tried to adjust the growth making my dress pants tight.

"How about I pick you up," she said, flirtatiously, "that way I can surprise you?"

"Not possible I'm afraid," I dismissed it quickly. I hated surprises. "Both of us need our protection detail so I have to be a little more organised than that."

"Okay how about a compromise?"

"Uh,huh…"

"I'll let Emmett know where we are going and he can arrange to pick us up, that way him and Rosie can go out as wall."

"Please tell me you are not suggesting we double date like some fucking high school couple?"

"What's wrong with spending time with your brother and his girlfriend?" As she spoke the words my hard on deflated instantly. I needed to spend time with her, getting to know her, not listening to Emmett's fiancée popping gum as she tried to understand the wine selections and most probably the menu.

"Nothing Isabella, and hopefully in time we will," my tone was positive but internally I was thinking that wasn't fucking likely, "but I really want to spend time with you. I can guarantee once Alice knows the four of us are out she will drag Jasper along and before you know it I won't get to talk to you all night. I'm not ready to share you yet Isabella." The words had been said to justify not bringing along my brother, yet when they came out I suddenly realised how true that sentence was. I wanted her. I wanted her all to myself.

BPOV

How could I resist him? As much as I'd love to get together with his brother and sister and their partners I could understand his reasoning. After all, I wanted to spend time with him as well.

"Okay Edward just the two of us then," I paused, letting the thought settle firm in my mind for a moment. "I'll organise a nice restaurant and let you know where we are going so you can let your people know."

We said goodbye and I immediately started googling the top ten best restaurants in the city. The list was easy enough to find but the problem was I didn't fancy visiting any of them. I do appreciate good food, it's the clientele I can't cope with. I don't care how much money someone has, or who they are, we all piss in the same pot several times a day.

I knew I had to find a comprise. It had obviously been a big thing Edward did for me, bringing the picnic. The least I could do was try one of his favourite restaurants. I called the top three restaurants on the list and they all informed me they were fully booked for tomorrow night. I sat and tried to think where else could try when I had a devious thought. I called back and pretended to be Edward's PA. Suddenly the most exclusive restaurant on the list had a table available. I was pleased but slightly angry. This was exactly the reason why I hated people who used these restaurants. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that compromise was my new buzz word.

I had a quick look through my wardrobe, if this was going to be a fancy place I needed something to wear. I reached for my black cocktail dress that was still in the dry-cleaning wrap from the last time I'd worn it. I picked out some chunky silver jewellery that matched the silver thread woven through the dress and my favourite fake Louboutins. They were high and classy and several hundred dollars cheaper than the real thing. I needed a new bra to wear under it so I'd have to go shopping tomorrow but I could fit that in. I called Seth back to let him know where we had reservations and he offered to drive Edward to me and then to take us to the restaurant.

I went to bed feeling excited. After completing my night time ritual I lay staring at the ceiling. The events of the day swirled through my mind on a continuous loop, no matter how much I tried to relax my body wouldn't cooperate. I thought about a hot bath but I couldn't be bothered to actually get up and run one. I could have really done with a massage, but seeing as I didn't have a friendly masseuse on speed dial I reached for the next best thing. My trusty vibrator coughed and spluttered to life and I realised new batteries were definitely in order, Mr Cullen had no idea just how much he was helping the economy, I was on my second pack of batteries this week alone.

As my orgasm swept through me I finally felt my body relaxing. Mother nature's natural relaxant, better than any synthetic drug, did its job and I was asleep before I could even but my artificial boyfriend back in his drawer.

I woke the next morning wondering what I was lying on. For a split second, I wondered who was in my bed with me and I squeezed my eyes closed as I tried to remember if I'd gone out drinking last night. Once I was sure I hadn't, I reached out and felt my vibrator sticking to my thigh. I was tempted to see if I'd finally killed the batteries but in the end I threw it in the bin and made my way to the shower.

I had a couple of appointments today so after picking out my pant suit, I quickly tied my hair up and set out on foot to show a lovely property to a couple just a block over from my place.

"Good Morning Miss Swan, how are you today?" Alex asked as I walked into the foyer. I had been surprised to see my place so carefully watched on CCTV but with the potential of running into Mr Jarvis the one cloud on the glorious horizon of my day I was secretly pleased that there was somebody looking out for me.

"I'm good, I'm just off to see a client." I turned and looked in the direction of where I thought the camera was and waved.

After all, you never know who could be watching.


	22. Chapter 22

TNMC

Chapter 22

No copyright infringement meant. I know Mrs Meyer owns the characters I'm just playing with them. The story is mine so please respect that

.

BPOV

Today was already a good day. Two quick calls and I had new property to market and a new client looking for a penthouse in the city. While I knew it probably meant a tearful goodbye to my fantasy home, I had to look at it as one step closer to a huge commission and a cruise for me. As I left the building I looked round for my escort but surprisingly there was no one around. For a split second I thought about going back and telling Alex. He would probably know why my protection detail had suddenly disappeared. I really did consider it but then I thought what the hell and the moment passed and before I knew it I was in my truck and pulling away from the kerb. I kept checking behind me but they had either got a lot better at hiding or I was on my own. I felt quite giddy as I went on with my day, at first it felt good to know I was back to being invisible in the city. The whole day stretched in front of me, a myriad of possibilities and adventures.

I rushed through the several work related tasks that I had for the day and by early afternoon I was at the mall, looking for new lingerie. I told myself I needed to refresh my underwear stock, however my mind kept wandering to the beautiful black dress and what I was going to wear underneath it. I started out at my favourite department store where I usually bought my work clothes. Functional, average quality and not too pricey. I picked up a pretty pink balconette, then fingered a black lace bra. Nothing felt quite right. I decided to treat myself for once, leaving the department store and heading for the pink and white stripes of Victoria's Secret. I stepped into the store and was immediately assaulted by huge video screens showing slim, glowering models striding up and down the catwalk. As I stood watching, mesmerised by the flashing images I wondered who thought it was a good idea to showcase the stock on a walking ironing board.

I looked down at my own ample bosom and knew that nothing would look like that on me. I turned around and left the store behind, taking two escalators until I reached the sumptuous peace of a boutique lingerie store. The pieces were exquisite but pricey. I took a deep breath and told myself to choose something because I loved it, cost be damned. I chose several pieces but I knew that my favourite was the Maison bodysuit, it was a beautiful stretch silk satin and as soon as I slid it on my body I knew it would fit like a second skin. The tulle and lace just added to the luxury. It wasn't revealing, in fact I had swim suits that showed more skin, but it made me feel incredibly sexy. I slipped on some thigh highs and my black heels and looked at myself in the mirror.

"Holy fuck girl, you look incredible," I said to the mirror.

As I turned around the back view was even better, the sheer lace and high cut legs gave it an almost Victorian feel. The more I looked at myself, the more I loved how it made me feel. I felt sexy and exciting, wanton and daring. I wanted to walk around the store wearing it so everyone could see me. Who knew I was a closet exhibitionist? It was a real shame this was going to be covered by a dress and I suddenly understood what all these lingerie companies were selling, not the scraps of lace, but the feeling you got from wearing their pieces.

I settled on taking a couple of selfies in the mirror, in fact I probably took about thirty from just about every angle possible. I finally slipped the exquisite piece of silk off and got dressed. As I handed it and three pairs of thighs high to the cashier to ring up I knew it was going to be extremely expensive. I told myself that the penthouse sale was almost a slam dunk and bravely handed the haughty assistant my card. I gasped a little when she rang up almost $1000 but my credit card behaved and I held my breath and made for the exit. I didn't breathe out until I was out of the store with the goods and receipt grasped firmly in my hand.

I walked into the nearest Starbucks and ordered the largest coffee and pastry I could. Not only did I need the caffeine rush, I needed the sugar rush to accompany it. They say sugar is good for shock, right?

About a third of the way down the bucket of coffee I'd purchased I felt the caffeine kick in. I knew my face was flushed and I was trying to work out what was the main cause, caffeine or the thought of wearing the lingerie tonight.

I played with the piece of chocolate cake in front of me, the realisation that I'd just spent a thousand dollars on something that I would probably never wear again suddenly hit me as my euphoria wore off. My mood dropped and I looked round for Emmett. I really needed a giggle and he would be a sure bet. I reached for my phone to call and see where he was but instead I suddenly had a naughty thought. Before I could change my mind I pulled up a selfie of me in my new lingerie and added the message 'Should I wear this tonight?' I hit the send button and put my phone on the table as I watched the delivered message come up. I started to count down from a hundred, I hoped Edward would call me straight back. Surely he couldn't ignore me when he saw that?

As I got to fifty in my head I knew he wasn't going to call. The remains of the chocolate cake were almost crumbs, I had been playing with them so long. I started to pick up my things ready to make my way home. The phone rang. "Edward!" I answered breathlessly, excitement bubbling in me like hot frothy milk.

"You look quite sad Isabella," a familiar voice I recognised instantly, one that filled me with dread, "are you missing your driver today?"

I sat back down and tried desperately not to look around to check if he was close by.

"Who is this please?" I wasn't giving him the satisfaction of acknowledging him.

"Really Isabella," he tutted, a gentle chastisement that liquefied my stomach, "have you forgotten me already? No wonder you haven't called me with some appropriate accommodation yet."

"As I explained before Mr Jarvis, when I get something in your price range I will call you. Until then I have nothing to say to you." I was professional but stern. If he didn't like my tone, I told myself bravely, he could fuck off. This guy was giving me the creeps.

"What about that lovely little house on Radcliffe Place you signed up this morning? I'm sure that would be excellent for me." How on earth did he know where I had been this morning? "In fact," he continued, I'd like to view it now. Could you meet me there?"

"I'm sorry Mr Jarvis," I said, not caring that I did not sound sorry at all. "I'm extremely busy at the moment, could we make it another day?"

"Busy? But that chocolate cake looks as though you've been using it just to kill time for the past ten minutes."

I hung up instantly and thought about running for my truck. He had to be close by so I took a deep breath and tried unsuccessfully to relax. I was in a very busy Starbucks in a busy Mall, there was security everywhere and I had my Taser in my purse. As my thoughts settled I knew I needed to speak to Emmett. I really needed to speak to Edward but he would probably explode if he knew I was alone and I needed him in one piece for our dinner tonight. I'd just dropped a grand on fucking lingerie, he had better be in working order.

I sipped my now luke warm coffee and shovelled a piece of the mashed cake into my mouth. It felt like sand but I wasn't giving the fucker the satisfaction of seeing he'd got to me.

I picked up my phone and called Emmett, luckily, he answered almost immediately.

"Bella bean what's uppppppp?"

"Emmett listen to me," something in my tone silenced his banter immediately. "I'm in the Mall and I'm on my own. Jarvis just called again and he is very close." I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Emmett, he can see me. I can't believe I'm saying this but can you come and get me please?"

I could hear that he was already moving, doors were banging and I heard an engine start. "Bella do not move." He didn't need to tell me that twice. "Stay in the coffee shop. Paul and I will be with you in less than ten minutes. I'm going to stay on the line so keep talking to me."

I could hear whoever was driving was also talking to someone, his accent was very different to Emmett's so I could tell who was speaking to who. He didn't talk to me on the whole way there but as I continued to pretend to pick at the chocolate cake it was comforting to hear his voice, barking orders or talking urgently to somebody on another phone.

"Bella?"

"Yes?" I answered.

"We're close now. In the meantime, Alex has hacked the Mall security cameras so he can see everyone who walks in and out of the shop right now. Can you look round and see if this guy is actually in there with you?"

I was sitting with my back to the door so I would have to go to the counter again to have a good look around. I stood up and for a second I wasn't sure my legs would actually hold my weight. Irrationally this angered me more than the phone call or being watched.

"Fucking hell Isabella Swan," I muttered to myself, "get a fucking grip." I could hear Emmett laughing as he listened to me giving myself a severe talking too.

I took a deep breath and picked up my purse and shopping bag and went up to the counter, I ordered an espresso, like I needed anymore caffeine. When the server handed it to me I slowly turned and scanned the tables and chairs. There were several people in there but I couldn't see Mr Jarvis.

"He isn't in here Emmett" I said into my phone when I sat back down. Knowing that I at least had the storefront between Mr Jarvis and myself made me feel a little braver.

"Bella, do me a favour please? Sit with your back to a wall, facing the door if you can. If you can sit in a corner even better, I want you to be aware of everyone who is around you and it's easier if you don't have to worry about someone coming at you from behind. "

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? " I almost screeched at him.

"No, the fact I'm going to kill him slowly and painfully when I catch him, will make you feel better" he said and I could hear the humour in his voice.

"Please remember," I told him primly, "I'm a Police Chief's daughter."

"Bella?" He asked, and I could tell that he was smiling, despite everything, are you telling me your Dad wouldn't help me to hide the body if he knew what was going on?"

"Point taken," I stood up, phone still pressed to my ear, and took a new seat. "Right, I 'm in the corner and I'm facing the door."

"We're just pulling into the Mall parking lot, I'll be with you in less than two minutes."

Just as he stopped talking my phone beeped to tell me I had a call waiting. I moved the phone away from my ear, wondering when I saw his name flash up what Edward wanted. My face must have looked priceless when Emmett came bounding into the coffee shop as I suddenly remembered that I had sent Edward that photo of my new lingerie. Suddenly I felt very uncomfortable. What if Mr Jarvis had been watching me in the lingerie store? What if he had somehow intercepted the picture that I had sent Edward? As Emmett hung up our connection, thankfully in sight, I cut off Edward's call. As Emmett and Paul scoured the surrounding stores I logged into my phone and deleted each and every one of the selfies I'd just taken. I looked at the heavy cardboard bag, embossed with gold writing and the urge to return it to the shop was strong. As I waited for Emmett to tell me it was safe to go to my truck my head and my heart were arguing, one wanted to return the lingerie, get my money back and go home and snuggle down with my trusty box set. The other part of me wanted to say "Fuck it", get dressed up and go out on the town with Edward.

The two parts were still debating as I saw Emmett wave at me, beckoning me to join him.


	23. Chapter 23

TNMC

Chapter 23

Ok this is a little different, there are things going on in the background and here we start to explore just who and what Mr Jarvis is.

Quil POV

As soon as my alarm went off I was up and out of bed. Bella wasn't an early riser but I knew I needed to check in with Alex by about 7.30am to make sure the night had been quiet. Mr Jarvis was beginning to be a real thorn in our side and we all wanted to find him.

I pulled the Range Rover into a space on her block. It was so much easier now she knew we were there, no more trying to be inconspicuous. As I stepped out of the driver's door I could see a runner coming up towards me so I quickly pulled the door in to allow them space on the sidewalk. The runner slowed down to thank me and as he went past I opened the door fully and stepped back out.

I never saw the attack coming. Whether it was the runner who doubled back or someone else who had crept up behind me whilst my attention was elsewhere I couldn't tell you, but someone dragged a thick hood over my head, taking my sight instantly. It took me a few seconds to realise that there was a pad of some sort in the hood. From the smell I suspected was chloroform. I tried not to breathe but I was out before I even hit the floor.

When I regained consciousness, it took me a few seconds to register what was happening. I was handcuffed and lying on the floor on my side in a small room. The walls were padded, the door metal with no windows, just a small hatch that could only be opened from the outside. I made an experimental noise and the sound died as soon as it left my mouth. The dirty grey cladding on the walls and floor must be soundproofing.

I manoeuvred myself to try and sit up. After a few abortive attempts I managed to turn myself so I was sat upright my legs straight out in front of me. I looked around to see if there was anything l to point to where I was or who had taken me. The room had originally been white. Four walls, a floor, a ceiling and a door. As my eyes adjusted to the dim overhead night I started to notice some darker stains on the dirty cladding. Bile rose in my throat and I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing deeply and trying to calm the rising wave of panic. "Come on Quil," I muttered to myself, "you've trained for this." No amount of training could prepare you for being snatched on your own doorstep. I suddenly had an insight of how Bella must feel being stalked in her own domain. Bella! The bile started to rise again and I fought to re-master my body. I hoped she was okay.

With no natural light in the cell I had no idea what time it was. I did know that I was hungry and thirsty by the time the door opened and a couple of guys came in. They were dressed all in black with black hoods over their faces. They were almost military in their uniformity and bearing. It was almost a relief. Military I knew. Military I could deal with. They weren't wearing uniforms so they could be a covert group or some sort of paramilitary. Neither was a comforting thought

One of them threw a blanket over my head. I was roughly dragged to my feet, a man on each arm. I was dragged through some corridors. I didn't make it easy for them, letting my feet drag on the floor behind them. They didn't seem bothered by my dead weight. I kept my head down, trying to glean what I could from the small glimpses of the world the movement of the blanket gave me as my feet dragged behind me. The boots were generically military, surprising new. The floor covering struck me as institutional, most probably a cell block or a hospital wing. Unlike the boots the floor was well worn. We stopped. I heard another door being opened. They dragged me to a table and dropped me on a chair. I blinked as the blanket was pulled off my head. One man removed the handcuffs the other hovered close by. By the time my eyes had adjusted the door had already slammed shut. I was on my own in another stark white room. There was a table, two chairs and a huge mirror on one wall. I knew the room was being watched. My heart sank, my assessment of how professional these guys were going up a couple of notches. I sat up, straightening my back and tilting my chin upwards defiantly. As the two men lined up in front of me I took a deep breath and tried to remember my training.

Emmett POV

I pushed the handle of the door. It swung back, lighter than I imagined, crashing loudly into the wall behind the door. Several people turned to look at me, coffee cups paused mid way to their mouths. I ignored them, scanning the room until I saw Bella, sitting with her back against a wall in the corner. I swept the room with my eyes again. "Nice quiet entrance there Emmett," said Bella, as I approached the table. "I don't think anyone noticed you." Paul, flanking me, quickly smothered a snicker. I frowned. Despite the sarcasm I could tell Bella was frightened, her voice was shaky. I could see the slight tremor as she raised her cup to her mouth to take a sip.

"You know me Bella," I said, humouring her. "I'm never one to do anything be halves." I sat down across from her, trusting as I put my back to the door that Paul would be keeping an eye on the room.

"Are you sure he's not in here?" I asked her.

"No he's not here." She took another sip of her coffee. "I've not seen him at all but he has to be close, he knew I was eating chocolate cake." I noticed the bag on the seat beside her, heavy pastel paper tied with a ribbon. I recognised the name of the store, high end lingerie. A wave of nausea washed over me. She had been buying lingerie and he had been following her. Where the fuck had Quil been?

"It's okay," I told her, soothingly. "We're here to get you out of here."

She nodded and started to stand up.

"Oh," she said, suddenly, reaching for her phone. "I need to call Edward."

"No time for that," I said, snatching the phone off the table and dropping it into the open top of her purse. "Let's get you safe then you can call him." I didn't let her know that this was based squarely in self interest. My brother isn't the kind of guy that you can take half a story to. I definitely didn't want him to know about this until Bella was safe.

She stood up, gathering together her belongings. I almost suggested that I carry her shopping bags for her but I needed my wits about me. I bid her to follow me out of the coffee shop.

"Try and look for him," I told her. She immediately started sweeping her head from side to side. "Without making it obvious," I cautioned.

I walked quickly through the Mall, Bella at my side. Paul followed slightly behind, keeping his eyes open for potential threats. My senses were on full alert as I scanned everyone who was coming towards us. Common sense told me he would be following us. We reached the exit doors and Paul moved ahead. After a quick scan we took the first steps into the parking lot. I heard the Range Rover engine spring into life. As it drew level with us I reached to open the rear door a squeal of tyres on asphalt, loud in the underground car park made us both turn our heads. A dark van had stopped. The windows were blacked out. There were no other cars around. My scalp tingled. Whoever was in there was watching us. I pushed Bella a little roughly, shoving her unceremoniously onto the back seat of the Range Rover. I slammed the door behind her.

"Paul, go!" I heard the locks engage on the doors as he secured the car and started to pull away.

I made my way toward the van, blocking the exit route with my body. The front window wound down but the angle was too shallow for me to see who was in there. I had a semi-automatic tucked into my waistband but with CCTV everywhere there was no way I could get it out. Still, I reasoned, the same rules would apply to this guy. As soon as he realised I was walking towards the van rather than away I heard the vehicle flip into reverse. I lifted the tiny microphone clipped to my wrist to my mouth, ready to tell Paul to intercept him. I dropped my hand to my side. Bella was in the car. I couldn't risk her.

I made my way to Bella's truck, trying to look inconspicuous as I passed three generations of a family who had just meandered into the parking lot. The ancient lock took me less than two seconds to open and only a few seconds longer to start. I really needed to speak to Edward about getting her a safer ride.

"Emmett, I'm on route to location No2," Paul spoke into my ear piece.

"Understand.", I turned the truck around and accelerated toward the exit.

Quil POV

I had no idea how long I'd been here because they had taken my watch, phone, ear piece and the receiver. All I could do was sit at the table and stare through the mirror. They could try and out wait me but I'm stronger than that. Finally the door opened and two men walked in. I quickly scanned both of them, committing their faces to memory. Time to see what they wanted.

The questions were generic. They didn't really delve into anything or anybody and within the first twenty questions I had the feeling this was all a diversion tactic. They weren't really interested in the Boss, my job or Isabella. "Does any of this have a point?" I asked. I had guessed by now that I wasn't in any real danger and the situation was starting to make me angry. "And why the fuck isn't my attorney here yet?"They looked at each other and then at the mirror before both walking out of the room.

The door opened and the first two guys came back in. The walked behind me and I knew what was coming so I didn't fight it. The blanket went back over my head and I was dragged out of the room. Again, I didn't make it easy for them, allowing my legs to drag behind me. I counted the floor tiles and tried to follow the route. I was thrown into the back of a van and left on the floor as it sped off. I tried to count in my head to judge the distance but the biggest challenge was actually staying calm. The more I tried to regulate my breathing, the more I started to panic at being covered by the blanket. I started to wriggle about, my hands were still handcuffed behind my back but I managed to remove the heavy woollen cover.

When the van stopped I was ready for them. I was up on the balls of my feet facing the doors, as they started to open I pushed off with all the strength and balance I could muster. I took them by surprise but although I glanced one on the way down, the overall effect was that I landed in a heap on the road. They just laughed and walked away then got in the black van and drove off, leaving me handcuffed and in a heap.

As I stood up and looked around to see where I was I didn't recognise the industrial area but I was surprised to see my Range Rover parked next to me. I made my way to the driver's door and after a bit of a struggle I managed to get the door open. There on the seat was my watch, phone and security system. What the fuck was going on?

EMMETT POV

As I pulled up to the gate at Edward's house my phone rang. Quil.

"Where the fuck are you?" I yelled.

"Emmett, I'm in the Industrial District," he sounded a little rattled, something about his tone made my ears prick up. "I'm handcuffed but unharmed. I need someone to come get me. "

"What the fuck happened?"

"It's a long story you all need to hear." He paused. "Is Bella okay?" "Fine," I told him. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, suddenly tense again. If he was more worried for Bella's safety than his own then something bad must have gone down. "I'll activate the tracking device and get somebody over with the bolt cutters."

I couldn't leave Bella. I needed to know she was okay and until Edward was here she was my responsibility. I pulled her truck onto Edward's drive and leapt out. I had given chase but Bella's little truck wasn't really the right vehicle for it and the dark van had easily got away. Paul must have been here a good five minutes already. "Bella," I shouted as I punched my code into the keypad and entered the house.

"We're in here Em," Bella shouted from the kitchen.

I found her making tea while Paul sat at the kitchen Island. I raised my eyebrows. I was surprised my brother had anything in his kitchen cupboards.

"Quil has made contact," I told Paul. "I need you to go and pick him up; Alex will guide you to him."

Paul nodded, looking slightly longingly at the hot tea. He took a bottle of water from the fridge instead before leaving.

"Edward will be here shortly, do you want to talk now or wait for him?" I asked her.

"Let's wait for him," she sighed, "I really don't want to go through this twice."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

So does this answer some of your questions or have I just confused you even more ?

As ever thank you to Ladyletters for sorting out my ramblings.


	24. Chapter 24

TNMC

Chapter 24

No copyright Infringement meant. I know Ms Meyer owns the characters I'm just playing.

EPOV

I tapped my fingers impatiently against the leather arm rest in the back of the Range Rover. I knew Bella was at my house and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. I needed to see her, that much was clear. I kept turning the events over and over in my mind, wondering how I could have better protected her. I didn't blame Emmett for taking her to my house, it was our back up meeting place if the club was compromised. However, I still associated it with Tanya, so much so that I had been thinking about selling up. As Emmett kept reminding me all the updated security made it the perfect place for me and Bella to be well protected. I had to keep reminding myself that we hadn't even been out on a proper date yet, never mind talked about moving in together.

My phone rang. At a nod Seth flicked it to speaker phone. It was Alex. He had managed to get several different stills of who we thought was Mr Jarvis from the Mall Security cameras. He was in the process of making one complete photo so we could show it to Bella and see if she could identify him. Once we knew what he looked like we could really start looking for him.

Paul had been to the industrial area to cut Quil free from his bonds. They were on the way back to the house as well. First things first, I thought, make sure Bella is okay. Find out what the fuck happened to Quil. Then, well what then? I knew that Bella was shaken; hopefully she would still want to join me for dinner. I had another look at the picture she had sent me, her beautiful body in that sumptuous lingerie and once again my dick reacted. I seriously needed to sort myself out in the shower before we went out tonight because if I had to sit across from her picturing what she could be wearing, well let's just say I could probably rival a champagne cork for the effect.

"I'll drop you at the entrance Boss," said Seth, "then I want to wait for Quil and Paul just in case …" As we pulled up to the electric gates I noticed the extra guards out in the grounds. Emmett had obviously raised the security level.

"What the fuck is going on Seth? Why has the security threat changed?"

"Emmett wants to be sure about Quill's story before we relax," he explained as he pulled up so close to the entrance door I could actually step straight into the hallway from the back seat.

As the door closed behind me my first thought was Isabella.

"Isabella, where are you?" I shouted. Knowing Emmett, he was probably giving her the grand tour.

"We're in here Edward," Emmett shouted back.

"Where the fuck is here?" I shouted. "This house has fucking rooms everywhere."

Emmett appeared before me in the hallway, it looked like they were in the Den. He just looked at me and then walked back into the room he had come out of. I hurried towards them and stopped dead in the open doorway.

The vision that greeted me took my breath away. Isabella was sitting in the Den. She had removed her shoes and was curled up on the sofa, a hot drink clasped in her hands and she was blowing on the surface of it. All I could think was how right the situation looked. She belonged in this room, she belonged in this house and I knew for sure she belonged with me.

"Edward we really need to speak to Quil," said Emmett, in a low voice, "do you want to be present?"

I was torn. I wanted to fucking kill him for leaving her on her own. I wanted to put her over my knee and spank the living shit out of her for going out on her own, but I didn't want to leave her now I had her here in front of me.

"You deal with it Emmett," I told him, my eyes flicking to Isabella again," let me know what you think when you've debriefed him."

He nodded a terse response, leaving us alone.

"Are you okay Isabella?" I moved over to the bar and poured myself a scotch, my first of the day.

"I think so," she nodded, even trying to smile, although the pallor of her face told me that she was putting it on, "it was a bit scary there for a time, but once I knew Emmett was on his way I was okay."

I was shocked how much those few words hurt. I really wanted her to need me, to turn to me when she needed help.

"You could have called me Isabella, I would have come for you." She didn't need to know I was an hour away.

"I know," she ran a distracted hand through her hair, "but I just presumed one of the double R brigade would be close by as usual. I thought they had decided to give me some space and stay hidden." She was shaking a little, her coffee cup starting to rattle in her clenched hands.

"The first time in months that I've been on my own and he decides to call," she said, in a small voice, "I was in such a good place. I'd had a good morning, a really fun time shopping and I was waiting for your reaction to my photo…"

"Oh shit I sent you the photo!"

She went to cover her face with her hands as she remembered what she had sent me. She forgets she had a mug in her hands. It fell to the floor spilling coffee all over my very clean, very boring cream carpet.

"Oh shit the carpet," she said, her eyes widening almost comically as she felt the coffee splash her legs.

She stood up quickly, grasping around for something to mop it up with. I watched the brown stain spreading on the wool blend dispassionately. Tanya had chosen that carpet. "Just leave it Isabella, it's okay." I tried to rub her leg to make sure she hadn't burnt herself. I was surprised to find that I really didn't mind.

"But it will stain," she bleated.

"It's just a carpet," I told her. "It's more important that you haven't burnt yourself." She looked forlorn. I noticed that Emmett had left her a cookie. Impulsively I picked it up, dropped it into the floor and ground it into the pile with my heel. I never was a fan of that fucking colour.

She suddenly burst into tears, not a trickle of tears running down her cheek, great big fat sobs and sniffles.

For a second I really didn't know what to do, then I sprang into action. This was an opportunity not to be missed, to show her how much I cared. I had her in my arms, on my lap and tightly held against my chest before she even realised I'd moved.

"Shh Isabella it's okay, let it all out, your safe now," I told her as I stroked one hand up and down her back and kept the other one clamped around her so she could feel safe. It took about five minutes for her to calm down. Finally the tears started decreasing and her sobs petered out. She started to reach across the couch and I wondered what she wanted. She held her hand across her nose and mouth and looked at me pleadingly but I had no idea what she needed.

"Tissue Edward," she sniffed, "I need a tissue."

Realization dawned and I looked round, why would I have tissues anywhere other than by my bed..!

"My purse, I have some in my purse," she said pointing to the side of the couch.

I lifted her up and placed her back down on the cushion while I went to retrieve her purse for her, it should have been easy but I came to a standstill when I saw the heavy cardboard bag tied with a ribbon sitting right beside it.

"Just ignore it," she stammered, "pass me my damn purse please."

I passed it over to her without moving my feet, still looking at the lingerie bag.

"Edward if you stare at it anymore it will spontaneously combust and then I won't be able to take it back."

"What?" I couldn't believe what she was saying, "I thought you were going to wear it tonight?"

"We're still going out?" She looked surprised. "I presumed you wouldn't want to be out and about tonight."

"Of course, I still want to go Isabella!" I took her hands between mine, not sure if the slight tremor was lingering fear or the effect of my presence. "Of course," I told her, gently, "you'll have to tell me where we are going so security can be around. Other than that nothing has changed."

The smile that spread across her face was glorious. I would have walked to the restaurant if I could have guaranteed that smile stayed in place for the duration of our date.

"I need to go home and get ready," she said, taking her hands out of mine and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. I was strangely pleased to see a flush on the apples of her cheeks. "Do I need to take someone with me?"

"Yes you do," I frowned, trying to work out the logistics. "You can leave your truck here and I will get Seth to drive you home, wait with you and bring you back here to pick me up. We can get your truck back to you tomorrow if that's okay?"

She nodded and bent down to collect her purse. I was so torn. I wanted to keep her here with me, I wanted to kiss her before she left, I wanted to drag her into my bedroom and never let her go but like the big bad mafia boss I was I stood and let her walk out of my home without doing anything.

"FUCK!" I screamed as yet another glass bit the dust and shattered into a million pieces.

BELLA POV

I needed a shower and a drink before I got ready to do anything. Today had been a real rollercoaster of emotions and I was absolutely knackered. I had half hoped that Edward would cancel this evening so that I could crawl into bed and just try to forget everything that happened. However, he was adamant we were going out so I needed to get myself together. Seth was outside the front door, Alex was downstairs and I'm sure I heard them talking about having more bodies in and around the building.

I looked through the peephole, checking that Seth was still there and made sure the door was locked before settling back in a warm bath with a very large glass of red wine. On any other day I could quite easily have fallen asleep but every bang of a door or imagined creak of a floor board seemed to be magnified so that I struggled to relax.

I sat at my dressing table trying to do my makeup and my hair but all I could concentrate on was the damn lingerie bag that was sitting on my bed looking at me. While I tried to decide whether to go for a smoky eye design or a powerful cat flick my inner monologue was trying to weigh up the pros and cons of wearing the lingerie. I had been dead set on taking it back, given that I now associated the shopping trip with a terrifying violation of my privacy. However, I couldn't forget the way that Edward had looked at the bag, the way that he had looked at me when I mentioned the photograph. The pros were winning at the moment so I went with a sexy smoky eye makeup and blood red lips. Half an hour later I was stood in front of my mirror slipping my little black dress over my thigh highs and the new underwear. I finished off my hair, put on my jewellery and slipped into a pair of high heels. I felt amazing. Fuck Mr Jarvis, whoever the hell he was. He wasn't going to stop me living my life.

Edward POV

As soon as Seth took Isabella home I went to speak to Emmet to see what had happened to Quil. He took me through step by step what Quil had told him and I watched as he and Paul tracked where Quil's car and phone had been today. According to the log he had been on Bella's block this morning, the car had stood for a few minutes before it was driven again. We followed the route as it went to the outskirts of the city, was stationary for a few hours and then drove a couple of miles to where we picked Quil up. His phone appeared to show up in all the same places so his story seemed to check out.

"Edward the more I listen to him, the more I think this was some sort of diversion tactic," said Emmett, closing the laptop and rubbing his eyes. "I think he was taken so that Bella would be alone. They knew to answer the texts Alex and I sent him so that we had no idea he wasn't where he said he was." He paused. This was something he didn't want me to hear. "Bella said Jarvis had been following her all day. He knew where she had been in the morning and it wasn't until she finally sat down and relaxed that he contacted her."

I fought my natural impulse to explode and start shouting, that seemed to be my default setting when it came to my Bella, but I took a deep breath and let the rational side of me brain take charge. The Bella side wanted Quil dead for allowing here to be put in that position and I could feel myself looking for my gun, but the logical side knew this was an organised almost military campaign and Quil hadn't really stood a chance.

"We need to get Jenks to step up the investigation into Charles Swan , find out about Isabella's mother also , we need to find out why these fuckers want her so badly?"

"How are the scans coming along? Do we have a complete image to show Isabella?" I wanted this bastard caught quickly, not only to make sure Isabella was safe but to find out what the fuck he wanted.

"Yes we do but I thought seeing as you are going out tonight it could wait until tomorrow."

"Thanks Emm," I sighed, suddenly tired. "I really want tonight to go well."

"Fuck Bro, that's the first time you've called me Em in about 10 years," he slapped me on the back almost knocking me over.

"Don't fucking call me Bro," I growled. With that I went to get ready for my date.


	25. Chapter 25

TNMC

Chapter 25

I know Ms Meyer owns the characters, I'm just playing but the story is mine.

BPOV

Seth was talking to Alex in the foyer when I made my way downstairs. I'm sure that they were looking at the stairwell before I stepped out of it, courtesy of the early warning system that was the camera outside my door, now was definitely the time to ask a question that had suddenly occurred to me.

"Evening gentlemen," I said, smiling. "Are we ready to leave?" Seth nodded and picked up the car keys.

"Have a good evening Miss Swan, enjoy dinner." Alex immediately went back to his ever present keyboard. I smiled a little harder.

"Alex," something in my voice made him lift his head. Seth paused, halfway to the external door."Do you have cameras in my apartment or just outside it?"

"Erm… I… erm… well… " For a fully grown intelligent man he was definitely struggling a little. Behind me I could hear Seth sniggering. Of course, I wasn't going to make this easy for either of them.

"It's not a trick question Alex," I said, firmly but not unkindly. "I know there's a camera covering my door. I just need to know if there's one inside," I shrugged my shoulders, "have you seen me wandering round my apartment naked?" My mouth twitched as, what had started out as a little banter suddenly became a serious question.

"No Miss Swan of course not," his face was bright red but he finally found his words. "The boss would never allow that. All we have installed is a small camera to make sure we can monitor if anyone tries to enter your apartment." He looked almost guilty so I was sure he was telling the truth.

"Is that true Seth?" He was still trying to contain his laughter at Alex's unease.

"No idea at all I'm afraid," he replied. "I don't have anything to do with that side of things."

"So you haven't seen anything you shouldn't either?"

"No Bella," he tried to rearrange his face into a solemn expression, I assure you I haven't."

Seth led me out of the building and opened the door of the Range Rover. Somewhat placated by the knowledge that what I did in the comfort of my own apartment stayed within those four walls, I happily climbed into the back and settled myself into the seat. As I stroked the leather and fastened the seatbelt I couldn't help but think about my own truck and the startling difference between the two vehicles. "Just like our lives" I said to no one in particular. Seth made eye contact with me in his rear view mirror and smiled before starting the engine and pulling away from the kerb.

The drive passed quickly as we made our way back to Edward's house, Seth made a quick call to let them know we were approaching. As we pulled onto the circular driveway I could see Edward standing in the doorway waiting for us. When the car slowed to a stop in front of him he opened the door and got in beside me. We were out of the driveway and on the road in seconds.

"Good Evening Isabella," he said, formally, "you look very beautiful tonight."

"Good evening Mr Cullen," I matched his formal tone, running my eyes over his immaculate lounge suit. "You look very dashing yourself and eager for our date I see." He looked at my face seriously and I could tell he was trying to figure out if I was playing with him.

"Of course Isabella," he replied, finally seeming to decide that I meant the comment in good humour, "we're going to one of my favourite restaurants and I have excellent company. What's not to be eager about?"

He patted my thigh, leaving his hand on my knee, and for a split second I almost reached out to slap his hand and explain in detail how inappropriate and arrogant that was. However, the smile had gone from his face and if I wasn't mistaken he was trying to hide the fact he was nervous.

"What's the matter Edward?" I placed my hand lightly over his on my knee. "Have you changed your mind about our date?"

He looked at me and then at Seth and then back to me before reaching forward and tapping Seth on the shoulder.

"Pull over and step out for a moment when it's safe." Seth immediately started to look for somewhere. A few moments later the noise of the car door slamming shut punctuated that the fact that we were now very alone.

"Isabella," he said, not meeting my eyes, "this is very hard for me to admit but in the spirit of wanting to be honest with you I will admit that for the first time in a very long time I am nervous and so far out of my comfort zone that I'm not quite sure..."

"Why are you nervous Edward," I interrupted, unable to bear his hangdog expression, "it's just dinner."

"You know as well as I do Isabella that this isn't just dinner. I can have dinner with anyone I choose to. With one phone call I could dine with the President, Hollywood greats or Russian oligarchs. This is different, personal. This is about us."

"Is there an us?" I asked.

"Of course there is, we just need to set out the agenda."

"I am not a business meeting Edward," I told him, disparagingly, "we don't need an agenda. I would just like to get to know you because I know very little about you, your family, your personal likes and dislikes. We've talked about politics, religion, books and the arts but never about you." I was determined to get inside his head and work out was going on in there.

"I'll be able to tell you more when you're my wife but until then you'll have to be happy with the censored version." He tapped on the window to attract Seth's attention.

"Hold the fuck up a minute!" Classy, I thought to myself, but he had caught me off guard with that statement. Seth opened the door.

"Seth," I said, "we're going to need another minute or two." Seth stopped and looked at Edward to check what he was supposed to do. I saw Edward nod his head slightly and Seth got back out and shut the door again. It was impossible to miss Seth's shoulders moving up and down as he took a few steps away from the car.

"Remind me to shoot that fucker when I get a minute," Edward murmured as he sat staring out of the window looking away from me.

"Edward look at me please." He looked straight ahead. "Edward look at me." I wasn't asking nicely any more. He continued to look straight ahead. "Edward." My sharp tone made him flinch but he still wouldn't look at me. "How can we have a discussion," I said, crossing my hands across my chest, "if you won't even look at me?"

"Isabella," he said, finally meeting my eyes. "Can we please just go the restaurant, we can talk further there?"

"Why do you think I need to be your wife before you can tell me anything?" He opened his mouth then closed it again, a little like a fish. "In fact, why are you even thinking of me being your wife when you are still married and we haven't even been out on a proper date yet?"

"Isabella," he said, more firmly, "can we just go and get something to eat and talk some more at the restaurant?"

I probably wasn't going to get anything more out of him. I could see in his eyes that he had shut down, the only thing I could think of was that he thought he'd probably frightened me off. He hadn't, he'd just made me curious.

"Okay let's go," I sighed. He knocked on the window to get Seth's attention.

The rest of the drive was quiet as we sat on the back seat as far apart from each other as possible. I wanted to shuffle over and reduce the gap between us, both physically and emotionally but I sat almost paralysed as I wondered how to breakdown the divide.

The car drew to a slow halt underneath a huge entryway. I had never even heard of this place never mind been before but I could already tell I was dressed correctly. I could see the diamonds and the fake white smiles dazzling the poor valets as we waited in line to disembark.

Seth jumped out of the car to open Edward's door and Edward came round to open mine. As he held out his hand to help me I made sure to grasp it tightly and keep hold as we walked towards the entrance. He looked down at our clasped hands and the smile finally returned to his face.

"Shit," the first word out of my mouth as we stepped into the main reception. This place was so over the top it was unbelievable.

"What's the matter?" he asked looking at my face. Numbers and cards and bills were whirling around in my head, the reality of what it might actually cost to dine here finally dawning on me.

"It's my turn to pay tonight and I just maxed out my credit card on my lingerie, I knew this was going to be expensive but..."

"Isabella don't be ridiculous, do you think I would bring you out to dinner on a date and let you pay?" A person whom I presumed was the manager came rushing towards us.

"Mr Cullen, good evening sir," he simpered, shaking Edward's hand with familiarity, "how lovely to see you finally, we were beginning to think we had upset you."

"No Philippe," he replied, in a voice I was starting to recognise as his business tone, "it has just taken me a while to actually get all my plans together so I could bring my lovely date here." Turning to me he gestured towards Philippe. "You see Isabella, twice I have made reservations to bring you here and twice our plans were changed, you'll have this poor man thinking you don't want to visit his restaurant."

I laughed because I didn't know what to say. How the hell had I managed to pick the restaurant he had tried to bring me to already? We made our way through the restaurant towards the back of the room and I wondered where we were going, surely it wasn't going to be a table near the kitchen or the toilets? I had booked late but surely not. We kept going down a corridor and round a corner and into another corridor that had four doors. Outside each door were sets of chairs and it struck me that it looked like waiting rooms at a clinic. You waited outside for the doctor to call you in. As we made our way down the corridor all of the men already sat in there stood up and blocked the doorway of the room they were outside.

I saw the recognition in their eyes as they scanned past me and looked at Edward. We entered a small room with a single table set for two in the centre. It was a very fancy and ornate private dining room. I caught a glimpse of Seth and someone I didn't know take up position outside the door. Edward held out my chair for me and sat me with my back to the door.

"I'll just be a second Isabella," he said as he walked to the door.

"Seth, could you find out who is here and let me know?" Seth nodded. Edward closed the door and returned to the table.

"Now Isabella you have my undivided attention, shall we have a drink and look at tonight's menu?"

It was everything I had dreaded, there was cutlery and glassware everywhere, I had given myself a quick refresher this afternoon while I was dressing, and it's amazing what you can find on YouTube. A 'how to' on what each glass and piece of cutlery was for, I now know which one is the water glass, which was for red wine, white wine and the aperitif. I hadn't quite worked out what happened if I asked for a blush wine or champagne but I'd worry about that if I needed to.

The menu was in French and had no prices on so it was going to be a complete guess what appeared on my plate. I was hoping if I stared at the menu long enough some of the words might start to mean something but unfortunately they didn't so I just put it down. My cheeks burned.

"What would you like to drink Isabella?" Edward asked looking at me over the menu.

"I'm easy why don't you just order something for us," I tried to sound nonchalant, as if I ate at places like this all of the time.

"A bottle of champagne then?"

"That's fine," I smiled, hoping someone else would fill our glasses so I didn't have to worry about why there weren't any champagne flutes on the table. My palms were sweaty. This was stress itself. How could people find this type of thing enjoyable?

"Are you ready to order?" he asked as I picked up the menu again.

"Edward," I decided just to come out with it. "I don't speak French so I have absolutely no idea what is on the menu, why don't you just order something for me." The colour from my previous blush drained away as my resolve took over and I felt better for being honest. I might as well start the evening as I want it to go, honesty and openness.

I could see the realisation spreading across his face as he took in my response. Don't get me wrong I am a confident woman. Had I been here for a business meeting I would have done my research and looked at the menu beforehand. When I'd have realised it was in French I would have used Google translate and been ready. For some reason my normal thoughts had flown out of the window today, all I had thought about was lingerie and actually getting here.

"Isabella don't worry about that," he smiled. "I don't speak French either, it's just I've been here numerous times before and I've had the menu explained to me. Would you like the chef to come in and take you through everything he has so you can choose whatever you'd like?"

That surrounded even more mortifying that not understanding it in the first place. The poor man must be busy enough cooking food for all these people never mind standing here trying to make me understand what all his creations actually were.

"What are you having Edward?" I asked him. "If you have eaten here before what do you recommend?"

"Well I usually have the crabmeat and langoustine terrine to start," he said, putting the menu down. "Then tonight I think I will have a steak."

I could deal with that, what wasn't to like, I loved crab cakes and they really couldn't mess up a steak so that should be safe territory.

"I'll have the same then." I put down the menu and pushed it away from me, the first hurdle sorted. A waiter walked in, made quick work of the champagne cork and pouring us a glass each, took our order then disappeared as quickly as he had arrived.

"So, can we get back to our discussion form earlier?" I asked as I took my first swallow of the delicious pale bubbly liquid. I recognised it as the same stuff we had drunk at our indoor picnic.

"Ask away and I'll answer you as honestly as I can," he took a large swallow of his champagne and it almost distracted me. I had the strangest urge to lick his throat.

"When is your divorce final?" I might as well start with the big issue.

"According to Jasper the divorce is imminent," he smiled and I could see the relief on his face.

"Have you heard from the soon to be former Mrs Cullen lately?"

"No and I don't expect to either," his voice hardened at the mention of his ex-wife.

"Why do I need to be your wife before you can tell me about yourself?"

"You must know the law Isabella, a wife cannot go on the stand and testify against her husband," he took a large gulp of champagne. "I would need the security of that before I could trust you with all my dirty secrets." he was trying to make light of it but I'm not stupid, it looks like my daddy was right.

"Are you the boss?" It was a very ambiguous question but I was interested to see how he would answer it. He looked me in the eyes and answered without the slightest waiver

"You know I am Isabella." I was a little taken aback. Did I?

"So," I soldiered on, scared that this moment of honesty would end too quickly, "you are the boss of the clubs and the businesses or you are The Boss?" He smiled and I knew I'd given him an out.

"I'm the boss," he replied. Wow, he hadn't taken the out. Slightly shaken, I took the opportunity to take a sip of champagne. Before I could ask anything else someone knocked on the door and the server delivered our first course.

The food was delicious. I'd never had langoustine before but the taste was delicate and went well with crab and the salad leaves and fancy savoury crackers they served with it. We talked about my work and the penthouse we'd had lunch in and he asked me if I'd seen Alice or Rosie again. The conversation was safe.

Once the course was cleared away I tried to get back to our previous conversation

"So Edward, if you are just escaping one bad marriage why are you so eager to take another wife?" It seemed a fair question to someone who had been trapped for so long.

"I'm not eager to marry just anyone Isabella. I'm eager to get to know you and to see if we will be as good together as I've imagined we'd be." His face was serious but I couldn't help but see the double meaning in what he'd said. It was too good an opportunity not to tease him a little.

"Really Edward do tell," I lowered my voice and leaned in a little closer across the table, "what have you been imaging us doing. I wonder if it's the same sort of things I've been thinking about?" The smile on my face was a mile wide and I actually saw him blush.

"You have no idea what I've imagined us doing Isabella," he said as he took another swallow.

"Oh, I do Edward," I fluttered my eyelashes and leaned over a little further, giving him a good eyeful of cleavage, "why do you think I spent a grand on some new lingerie?"

His reaction was instant, the liquid he was swallowing met with the cough my comment had caused and he started to choke. The door swung upon.

"Get away from him Miss Swan!" Seth rushed in and made his way to Edward putting himself between me and the choking figure of Edward.

"Why?" I yelled indignantly, "what the fuck do you think I was doing to him?"

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Thank you to Ladyletters for her polishing on this chapter, I have played a little so any mistakes are mine.

I need to say a massive thank you to all of you who have taken the time to review, I try to answer all of them, if I have missed you I'm sorry but I do read everyone. xx


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

TNMC

BPOV

It took a few minutes for things to calm down. Seth needed convincing I wasn't trying to kill his boss. The panicking restaurant staff were desperate to establish that he hadn't choked on something untoward in their food. The heavies in the corridor were lurking, none too discreetly, checking that the big bad Mob boss was still alive and kicking.

In all the confusion and everyone coming and going Edward never once took his eyes off me. He stopped choking as the liquid found it's natural path. As his reflexive cough passed he quickly dismissed everyone leaving them in no doubt he was both okay and still very much in charge. There was something about the way that he could bend grown men to his bidding with a single word and a hand gesture that thrilled me.

Perhaps I hadn't quite twigged that he was THE BOSS and not just a boss. There was no doubt whatsoever in my mind now. The way that everyone had reacted to a little coughing fit was so far over the top that anyone would have thought they were dealing with royalty. I, on the other hand had remained calm, even after Seth thought I was trying to poison Edward. I sat and let everyone else do what they felt they needed to and when everyone was finally gone I took another drink of champagne and asked him quietly if he was okay.

"I'm quite alright Isabella," he replied, raising his glass as if making a toast, "thank you." He took a large gulp of champagne, almost defiantly, as if suddenly determined to prove that he could manage his food and drink without intervention. "I can confirm that I am in complete working order."

I had to stifle a giggle because I knew he was referring not only to his coughing fit but also to the images we both had had before the interruptions. His eyes widened and I thought for a terrible moment that he might choke again. He swallowed the champagne safely, a wicked glint in his eye as he recovered his composure.

Just as I was about to suggest leaving there was a knock on the door and the server came back in to ask if we were ready for our next course. Edward looked at me and raised his eye brow; he was leaving the decision to me. I half closed my eyes for a moment, relishing the delicious smells of the restaurant.

"Yes thank you," I told her, deciding that if I was only going to be in a place like this once that I would make the most of it. "I think we are both ready for what comes next."

She smiled her response and rushed off. As the door closed Edward let out a huge breath. "Are you fucking trying to finish me off tonight in one go Isabella?"

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked, rearranging my features into my best approximation of a coy expression.

"You know damn well what I mean," his voice was tough, but his expression was full of mischief. "I don't think I've ever had a conversation before where every word and sentence had a double meaning." He drained his drink and put his glass down. His expression darkened, his jaw setting to marble. His face really was exquisite, flawless, the deep cupids bow, heavy eyebrows and green eyes strong, set off by the neatly arranged hair that I had become accustomed to seeing him with. Even his hair did as it was told.

"I want you so badly Isabella," he said, his voice so low that it made my spine reverberate, "no fancy words, no double meanings. I want you in my life, in my home and in my bed."

I let the conversation hang, not because I didn't agree with him, but because I needed to catch my breath. I wasn't expecting him to be so open.

"Don't tell me I've finally managed to silence you," the hint of a smile ghosted on is lips. "If being up front and honest with you was all it takes I would have told you that when I locked you in the closet the first day I met you."

"What are you saying?" I squeaked.

"I'm saying Isabella," he reached his hand over the table and took my hand in his. "I knew the first time we met that I wanted you and nothing has changed. In fact the feeling is stronger now that I am actually getting to know you. If I thought for one minute you were ready for me I'd marry you the day my divorce comes through."

Seth, with impeccable timing, tapped on the door, popping his head around to ask if we were ready to eat. Edward nodded to him, then surreptitiously let go of my hand. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. The servers came in and with almost theatrical presentation put a beautifully presented steak and potato dish with some veggies on the side in front of me. As soon as they had left the room Edward picked up his cutlery and started to cut into his food.

"I don't know about you but all this honesty has given me one hell of an appetite," he said as he put a piece of steak in his mouth. I had the distinct feeling the tables had been turned on me as he started to moan in appreciation of the flavours on his tongue. I just sat and watched as he devoured what was on his plate. "You know Isabella, I can only imagine that one thing is going to taste better than this meal." I knew what he was going to say but I had to ask. Before I could open my mouth to formulate an appropriate response he continued. "You Isabella, when I finally get to taste you."

The rest of the meal went off quietly and calmly. I think both of us had reached the point of no return and one more comment would probably have found us locking the door and rolling around on the restaurant floor. Fun as that sounded I really didn't want our first time to be like that, it might sound cliched but I wanted it to be special.

We skipped desert but had a brandy and coffee and our conversation flowed more along the lines of a first date. I was shocked he didn't follow any sports team or do anything even remotely 'brotherly' with Emmett. He never went on nights out or even just to the cinema or a bar, he ate because he had to and made sure that most of his meeting in the evenings included food so he could eat and talk at the same time. He owned nightclubs, restaurants, bars and strip joints but very rarely visited any of them and even conducted his business in the competition so he could assess them, eat and do business all in one go. I was both amazed and saddened with his life.

"When do you have any fun Edward? You know kick back relax and just enjoy doing nothing?" I asked as I finished my brandy.

"I don't have much spare time," he explained, "my businesses take up a lot of my time and my other responsibilities can take up just as much time sometimes."

"What are your other responsibilities?" It was a natural progression in the conversation however I could see his posture shift, his gaze harden just a little.

"Those are the ones we need to be married for," he stated pushing his cup and saucer away, "I can't discuss those with you."

I let it go. Not because it was in my nature to leave big things unsaid but because I think I understood what he was saying. No matter how much he wanted me it didn't guarantee my silence or my trust. This cemented my thoughts on just how important he must be.

"Okay, I understand." I smiled to make sure he understood I meant it.

"What that's it," his expression was surprised and I liked that I surprised him, "you're just taking my word for it? No questions? No second guessing? No trying to wheedle it out of me?"

"No," I shrugged, "if that's what it is, then that's what it is."

He stood up and walked around the table so he could pull my chair out for me, I stood and turned to face him. His warm hands came up to rest on my cheeks. I could feel his heat close to me, breathe in the male scent underlining the expensive cologne.

"Can I kiss you Isabella?" I nodded and watched as his face came towards me. He licked his lips and as they met mine I swear I heard him sigh. I opened my mouth slightly to grant him access and I felt the emotion surge through both of us. He became much more demanding and I let him take control of the kiss. His tongue explored my mouth and he kept the kiss going and going. To allow us both to take in the oxygen we needed he would break the kiss and place small pecks around the sides of my mouth before diving back in. His hands moved from my cheeks into my hair and then finally rested on my back as he pulled me against the length of his body. As I felt his very prominent and hard penis against my stomach I finally found the power to move. My hands ran up over his back and I pulled him even closer.

Once more a knock on the door stopped us in our tracks, as we broke apart I couldn't help but blurt out my feelings. "I am so sick of people knocking on that door tonight."

"Miss Swan," he sighed, stepping away from me reluctantly. "I couldn't agree more but it's probably for the best at this moment in time."

Right on cue the door knocked again, this time more firmly.

"Come in Seth," Edward growled an answer and turned his back to the door to protect his modesty.

"Are you ready to go Boss? You have an appointment in the office." I looked at Edward questioningly.

"Thank you Seth," he said. "Isabella," he turned to me. I opened my mouth to protest as to why he was going to work, but something in his sombre expression made me stop, "please forgive me. I have to go to the office to sign some paperwork."

"Do you want me to order a taxi?" I was trying to be polite but inside I was screaming, how could he just walk away now? After that meal. After that kiss?

"Of course not," replied Edward, a little indignant, "it would be inappropriate to leave a date to make her own way home." I wanted to add how rude it was to rouse my passions with a kiss like that then leave me alone but with Seth there I just bit my tongue and nodded.

Seth checked the corridor and nodded at Edward and we followed him out to the foyer. The mysterious other guy appeared at the wheel of the Range Rover and as Seth held open the door I slipped in and Edward followed me. Seth slipped into the drivers' seat and the other guy got into the car behind us. I hadn't realised Edward had a separate security detail.

We drove home in silence but with our hands clasped tightly together. It was both comforting and arousing. As he stroked the top of my hand all I could think about was how it would feel if he was doing that on other parts of my body. I could feel the wetness spreading between my legs and my nipples straining against the soft luxurious lace. I sighed as I rubbed my thighs together trying to get some relief. Tonight was going to be a long night alone and I hadn't replaced my last worn out vibrator.

"Thank you for an interesting night Edward," I leaned towards him so I could give him a kiss on the cheek, "hopefully we will get chance to do it again."

"If you are agreeable I could come over later after I've finished what I need to do, or I could come over later in the morning and take you to breakfast?" He looked so hopeful I couldn't have turned him down even if I wanted to.

"Well seeing as you have managed to get through most of the evening without too much swearing and you have been very open with me why don't you come back after your business?" I fished in my purse, "I'll give you my spare key and you can let yourself in. If I'm asleep you can either wake me up or snuggle up to me and then we can go to breakfast in the morning." His answering smile was breathtaking and I knew the gamble I'd just taken had paid off.

"I'll be as quick as I can Isabella that is quite the incentive." I dropped the key into his palm and he curled his fist protectively around it. We pulled up outside my building and Edward walked me to my door, I didn't expect him to come in with me but as he pointed towards the camera I understood he was protecting me from prying eyes. After a quick but passionate kiss he left.

EPOV

It's fucking typical that tonight had to be interrupted but it's for a good reason. If everything has gone to plan Jasper should be waiting in my office with my divorce papers in his hands. All I have to do is sign and get them notarised and it's done. I'll be a free man; well free as in I'm no longer married to Tanya. I plan to get them signed and be in bed with Isabella before the dawn breaks. I have promised myself all along that I wouldn't take things too far until I was a single man but she was testing my resolve tonight, looking so good in that black dress, especially as I already had a good idea what she was wearing underneath it.

As we approach the club I can feel my palms getting damp. I want Isabella so badly and I'm almost there, she knows how I feel now and hopefully we can start a new life together.

"Evening George," I say to the doorman as I walk in through the front door.

"Evening Mr Cullen," he replied, dourly.

I am intercepted in the corridor by Mike, the duty manager, and I can see already he is flustered.

"Boss," he said in a low voice, "your wife is waiting in your office for you along with Mr and Mrs Whitlock." His hands wrung nervously. Mike knows, probably better than anyone, how protective I am of my inner sanctuary. "I hope you don't mind but Mr Whitlock said it would be okay." No one was supposed to be in my office if I wasn't here and that included my sister and her husband.

"We will talk about this later Mike," I pushed rather rudely past him as I made my way to my office. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door, the sight before me should have made me explode but it just made me laugh for some reason. Jasper was sat behind my desk working on his laptop but Alice and Tanya were sat opposite sides of the room almost snarling at one another.

"What the fuck is going on here?" I asked as I walked in.

"Finally. Where the fuck have you been?" my delightful sister asked.

"None of your business Alice." I sent her a look that was meant to silence her.

"Okay well care to explain what this skank is doing in your office, I thought we had seen the last of her?"

"As I've just said," I said it slowly, pretending to myself that she hadn't understood the first time, "this isn't any of your business"

"Now Jasper, are you ready for me to sign?" I looked over his shoulder at the paperwork he was working on. I could see he had some reports on Charles Swan but that could wait. All I wanted to do was finalise my divorce and get back to Isabella. As I thought of her my hand instinctively went to my pants pocket and felt for the key. She had given me her spare key and if I had my way she wasn't having it back.

"Yes Edward it's all ready," he slid the papers across the desk to me, "Tanya signed a few days ago so it just needs you to sign here." As he pointed to the area I needed to sign his words made me look up.

"How the fuck could you sign a few days ago?" I didn't even try to be polite. "You were supposed to be gone until after the divorce?"

"Daddy wanted me home," she pouted, "he sent word we could come back because things were happening and he wanted us close at home." Tanya got up and walked towards me. "Have you missed me Edward, is that what all this is about?"

"What the fuck are you talking about woman?" I pushed her hand away before she could place it on my chest. "I haven't given you the slightest thought in weeks." If only she knew I'd already replaced her in my head.

"So what was this then," she sounded indignant, "the summons to your office to meet you here in the middle of the night?"

"I don't have the first fucking clue..."

Before I could finish Alice cut in. "Why don't you just fuck off back to the money grabbing family you come from and leave us all the fuck alone."

"Tanya," I suppressed a smirk, "I probably wouldn't have been as direct as that, but as my beautiful sister has explained it so eloquently, would you please leave."

She picked up the coat and purse I'd undoubtedly paid for and turned to walk out the door. I knew there would have to be a parting shot, she couldn't resist having the last word.

"I know it was you who blew up the truck," I kept my features neutral as she watched my face like a hawk for my response, "don't think I will let that go because I won't. I will get my revenge." With that she slammed out of the door.

I called down to the doorman and made sure he saw her off the premises and left word she was never to be let in again. I would deal with Mike later, now I just needed to get back to Isabella.

"What the fuck was she doing here?" Alice asked again.

"I have no idea," I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose, "and right at this moment I really don't care, I'll deal with it all tomorrow. Jasper are we done?"

"Yes Boss," he said closing the laptop, "I have filed the paperwork on line. It's done, you are officially divorced. We should get a notification in a day or two at my office."

"I want a full report tomorrow on why the fuck she was back and I didn't know. I will also be interested to hear how you knew she had signed and I didn't." My anger was simmering dangerously close to the surface but Alice was in the room so he got a free pass for now, tomorrow she may find herself a widow.

Jasper's expression was a little unreadable as he quickly packed up his things and stood up.

"Go home both of you I will see you tomorrow sometime."

As soon as they left the office I sat down leaned back and put my feet up on the desk. Once again I felt for the key in my pocket, I was free, I was free to pursue Isabella properly and it was going to start in earnest now.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I was going to answer some of your questions but ... hopefully I've just thrown a few more into the arena !

Thank you to LL for a superb job as always. I'm so looking forward to seeing her and AJG on the 26th for our catch up. Off to meet up with some new and old friends tomorrow in Birmingham UK, if you haven't heard of MY PEAK CHALLENGE, please look it up. It's a charity based programme based around getting us up off the sofa and looking after ourselves. There are nutrition plans, daily exercise plans and a huge support network. It's been set up by Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser in Outlander) and 50% of the money goes to his charity. Please check out the website it's an amazing plan, I've lost around 30 lbs so far and I'm certainly in a lot better shape than I've been for a long time. Sorry plug over, I'll see you all next week. Looking forward to your reactions to this chapter and just to let you know I just wrote an incredible lemon if I do say so myself hehe.


	27. Chapter 27

TNMC

I know Ms Meyer owns all things twilight, I'm just playing with the characters.

The POV's swap backwards and forwards on this so make sure you follow the changes.

BPOV

Chapter 27

I was cold. I was still asleep but I was definitely cold. I tried to reach out for the comforter but I must have kicked it off the bed completely as my hands grasped fistfuls of air. As my eyes started to open I realised I wasn't alone. My first thought was that Edward was here. I started to turn over onto my back but paused instead. A dark finger of doubt crept into my mind as I remembered the incident with Mr Jarvis. I leaned over to turn on my bedside lamp. The pale light cast a shadow across the room. My bedside clock with the old fashioned brass ringer, the only thing that would wake me up for those occasional early starts, read 3.15am. A trickle of light bled out from under the door to my en-suite. The shower was running. I looked around the room. Edward's suit and shirt were laid carefully over the back of the chair, an overnight bag lay open on the floor beside it.

I reached for my comforter, kicked carelessly to the bottom of my bed and snuggled back down waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. I didn't have to wait long, the door opened and the smile on his face almost distracted me from noticing he was naked. He walked towards me quickly, his body lean but muscular and beautifully proportioned. I tried not to look too openly at his groin but a girl has to know what she is dealing with right? He slipped into bed and I pulled the quilt up over both of us and I snuggled up to his cold body.

"Why did you have a cold shower?"

"When I realised you were naked I needed to calm myself down," he grinned, pulling me closer, "a cold shower has worked for the last several years." His honesty was becoming a huge turn on.

"You don't ever need to have a cold shower again," I planted a kiss on his chin, "I want you as much as you want me Edward."

"Isabella you have no idea how happy that makes me." I snuggled further into his side and he wrapped his arms around me pulling me half on his chest with my leg resting against his rapidly growing length.

"It's very late, we have a breakfast meeting in the morning, try and get some sleep." I felt him kiss the top of my head .I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to explore his body but he grabbed my hand as I tried to touch him.

"Sleep Isabella, I just want to hold you close to me tonight."

EPOV

I lay with her in my arms, a part of her body touching mine all the way down to her toes and it felt so natural and normal. She hadn't wanted to go to sleep. I knew that but now I was here I really needed to just be surrounded by her. I kissed the top of her head and felt the sigh she let out. I knew she was a sleep, her breathing had changed and I'd felt the moment her body had stopped fighting and relaxed into slumber. I carefully let my fingers stroke down her back gently just so I could feel the softness of her beautiful skin. I was such a hypocrite, I'd told her to get some sleep and here I was touching and kissing her. She sighed again and I pulled her in even closer to me. The sensation was exhilarating I could feel her everywhere. The effects of my cold shower were fading at an alarming rate. If I was going to survive the night in her bed I was going to have to put a little distance between us so I started to try and move away. Her reaction was instant, she tightened her arms around me and I'm sure she said "no" in her sleep. I gave in and for the first time in my adult life I snuggled in nearer to her and let myself relax. My last thoughts as I drifted off to sleep were of her hair tickling my nose and my chest and how much I loved it.

BPOV

I was hot and sweaty and for a few seconds I wondered if the heating had gone haywire. A gentle snore and a sigh brought me closer to consciousness as the arm around me squeezed. Edward was a serious snuggler, who would have guessed? We hadn't moved an inch during the night. I was still draped half on him with my head on his chest and my leg across his hips.

I moved slightly, breaking the seal our skin had formed. I stretched slightly to make sure I had feeling everywhere. As I did Edward sighed again and then moaned when my thigh brushed against his very prominent morning wood. I was in two minds. I could go to the bathroom and then start breakfast or I could stay here and see what mischief I could get into. Unsurprisingly for me option two won quite quickly. I deliberately brushed my thigh against him again. He sighed but his breathing stayed deep and even so I knew he was still asleep. It was an opportunity to good to miss so I carefully moved my leg and slipped down under the covers until I was level with his groin, trouble was I couldn't see anything, it was pitch black under there so I slipped out of the side of the bed and moved the duvet so I could slide on my stomach up between his legs. As I got close enough to smell his arousal I lifted the duvet with my feet letting in a little light.

My first proper look at the goods was a relief, I was glad to see he was normal. No huge length or girth just what I suppose was considered average. I hadn't had loads of lovers but I'd had enough to know the difference between a pencil dick and a porn stars weapon.

Now blow jobs weren't my favourite thing to do and especially not first thing in the morning before said goods had had chance to shower but I had a strong urge to just lick him. I wanted to lick him all over really but I was okay to start with his balls and work my way along for now. I took my first tentative lick along the underside of his length. I could feel the prominent vein running along his length so I followed it with the tip of my tongue. I was so close just the action of my breath on him affected him and he was harder now than when I'd touched him earlier. His taste was comforting which I found strange, comforting was not something I'd expected, it was almost like a flavour I'd been missing out on. I went back and swiped my tongue bottom to top again, this time making sure to rub my tongue over the weeping head at the top. I went back twice more before I felt him start to move and wake up. I couldn't wait any longer, I gently took him in my hand and pulled him slightly towards me, I stretched a little and quickly took him as far into my mouth as far as I could. Now I'm no porn star and I have a pretty strong gag reflex so believe me when I say only the top part of him was in my mouth, the rest was encased by my hand. I made one pass, sucking hard on him as I raised myself back up. As I went to take him back into my mouth he came without any warning all over my face.

To be honest I don't know who was the most surprised, me who suddenly shot upright so I could find something to wipe the cum from off my face or Edward who was woken up by the somewhat unfamiliar sensation of coming in his sleep.

"What the fuck?" I adopted his favourite swear word.

"Isabella, what the fuck are you doing down there?" He grabbed the duvet and uncovered me.

The sight of me caused him to catch his breath. For a split second I wasn't sure which way he was going to go but as soon as he worked out in his mind what had just happened he pulled me towards him. He kissed me solidly on the mouth, morning breath, blow job breath and rapidly drying semen not worrying him in the slightest.

It did bother me so I pulled away and grabbed a hand full of tissues from the box at the side of the bed and quickly wiped my face and neck. He pulled me to him and arranged me so I was sitting on his lap on the bed.

"I'm sorry Isabella, that was always going to happen. It's the first time I've had someone else's hands or mouth on me in a very long time, in fact I could probably be technically classed as a virgin again as it's be such a long time since I've been intimate with anyone." All the time he was talking he was stroking my hair and my back. Part of me felt like I was being soothed liked a small child and I wondered if he was trying to cover up some embarrassment, but as I looked at him I could see he was sat naked and proud in my bed and from the feelings underneath me he was almost ready to go again.

"Now seeing as I was woken up in such an amazing way how about I spend some time making sure you feel just as amazing?"

EPOV

I lay in Isabella's bed and once again ignored the vibrating of my mobile phone. I had a pretty good idea who was calling and I really didn't need the stress of speaking to her right now. I was blissfully happy, the exhausted happiness of several joyous orgasms still enveloping my body and soul in happy calm. Isabella dozed contentedly by my side. I looked at the absurdly old fashioned alarm clock on Isabella's bedside table and was shocked to see it was mid afternoon. Isabella's stomach grumbled and I just had to smile.

"Come on sleepyhead," I said, gently, "let's go and get something to eat, I seem to have worked up quite the appetite." I gave her a nudge but just got a groan in response.

"Isabella come on," I tried the forceful voice that everyone around me knew meant business. She turned over and opened one eye and I waited for her comeback.

"The fact I am actually starving works in your favour here but do not be mistaken Cullen, that voice does not work on me." With that she turned back on her side away from me and snuggled back down into her pillow.

I couldn't resist her, I'd waited so patiently and so long in my eyes that now I could start to be with her as I truly wanted. My fingers ghosted along her exposed side and over her hip, she was so beautiful. Last night and this morning had been truly amazing. I couldn't believe this woman could create such feelings in me. As my fingers found their way to her thigh I couldn't help but dip down into what was fast becoming my favourite place to be.

"I beg to differ Isabella," I said, my voice lowering, "I'd say my voice does affect you, I can feel the evidence here." She parted her legs slightly to give me better access with my fingers.

"I think more investigation work is needed," she told me, primly, "I'm not convinced it's you causing that."

"It better be fucking me causing it," I growled, "or there will be hell to pay."

An hour later I was in the shower. My joints and muscled ached from all our fucking. It was fucking because it was frenzied, urgent and unfortunately quick. I needed to build up my stamina because at the moment I was like a teenager, quick to come but luckily quick to ready to go again.

BPOV

Shit I was tired. I may have slept well last night but since waking up Edward had been at me like a vibrator without an off switch. The man is insatiable and what he lacks in longevity he more than makes up for in attention. I've had several orgasms and all of them intense, for someone supposedly so out of practice he soon caught up.

"Do you want to go out for food?" I hollered through the bathroom door.

"I'm easy Isabella," he replied, his voice slightly muffled in response, "but if we do it needs to be somewhere that Seth knows about so he can be prepared."

I hadn't given any thought to what life would be like with Edward but it was starting to look like spontaneity would not be part of it.

"Okay I'll let Seth choose then."

"No Isabella, you choose. Just let Seth know in advance."

I was torn then because I wanted to go to my favourite diner but I knew Edward would be uncomfortable there. The diner down the block was tainted because Jarvis had obviously been watching me there so it looked like being somewhere different. That idea appealed to me because we were new, so why not start out at a new place that could become ours? At that point I gave myself a stiff talking to, warning myself in no uncertain terms not to get carried away. One good session and I was planning our wedding and the rest of my life. I slipped on a pair of shoes and went downstairs to talk to Alex to see if he knew where Seth was.

"Good afternoon Miss Swan." It irked me that due to the cameras he was already on his feet waiting for me. "Is everything okay?"

"I think we can get rid of the formality, don't you? Bella is just fine." I smiled at him to make sure he understood my intention. He nodded, but is was terse. I sighed inwardly, suspecting that he was going to ignore me and keep calling me Miss Swan.

"I actually came down for Seth, do you know where he is?"

"He's grabbing some rest in the back room," he glanced at a door leading off from the reception. "Do you want me to get him?"

"No if he's asleep just leave him, I can check in with him another time."

"No Bella I'm here." His voice came from the back room. A moment later he was stood beside Alex behind reception, one hand trying to smooth his bed head hair down.

"I just wondered where Edward usually eats if he's hungry in the day? We haven't eaten yet so I was wondering where to go." The look that passed between them was easy to decipher. Both were relieved which made me wonder for a moment what they had thought I was going to ask.

"Usually he has a standing appointment with his parents for breakfast today," said Seth, "but as it is the middle of the afternoon already I'd say you would probably be better off at GALAXY. He will often drop in there if he hasn't had time to eat."

"Okay," I looked at my watch, "give us half an hour on so and we'll be ready." I turned to walk away but then paused. "Um, Seth? What sort of place is it? Do I need to get dressed up?"

"It's okay Bella," he smiled, "smart casual will do. There will be a whole cross section of people in there."

I went back upstairs and Edward had just finished getting dressed. Part of me was a little sadden to see him back in his three piece suit. He looked good but I longed to see him in more casual clothes. Perhaps I could start by trying to convince him to get some jeans?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So they have finally done the dirty, I can start to let you see some of the lemons I've written for these two now.

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates, hope you are all recovered from your food coma's and still financially solvent after Black Friday.

Thank you to Ladyletters for polishing this chapter for me, I couldn't do this without you.x


	28. Chapter 28

TNMC

Chapter 28

BPOV

GALAXY turned out to be a strange place across town from me. It was not somewhere I would ever have thought to try myself. The outside was dour, almost plain and if it hadn't have been for the small name plate I would have struggled to even realise it was there. As we pulled up Seth jumped out and opened Edward's door. I waited for him to open mine. It was strange how quickly you got used to that level of attention. As Seth had said smart casual, I'd gone with black pants and a lavender silk shirt. Once inside I was glad I had erred on the side of caution. Smart casual for me is boots rather than sneakers with my jeans, but here it seemed to mean you only wore half of your complete jewel collection.

"Good afternoon Mr Cullen," said a server, with a suspiciously shocked look on her face, "it's a pleasure to see you, are you joining your parents?" Before Edward could answer she put one hand to her left ear, which I presume had an earpiece in it. A stern looking older man in a grey suit materialised beside her.

"Mr Cullen," he smiled, small teeth and a crocodile smile, I'm sorry you have not yet been seated however before we take you to your table may I have a private word with you?" He motioned for Edward to go to one side.

"Excuse me a moment Isabella," he said stiffly. They only moved a few paces away and neither were able to whisper too well. It seemed that Edward's ex-wife was in the restaurant having a late lunch with his parents.

Seth had obviously clocked the problem as well and was texting madly on his phone. He glanced up into the main dining room a frown and a look of surprise fighting for dominance on his face. Following his gaze I saw a table in the corner that had four people sat at it. I recognised the two men from somewhere but the two women, one older than the other, were new to me.

"We will go over and say hello," he told the man, his voice back to its normal volume, "but we will dine at our own table, away from them." Edward straightened his posture and I saw his armour go on. The Boss was in the room.

"Wow," I said as he grabbed my hand and started to walk onto the restaurant floor. I didn't move and he stopped mid step. He turned and looked at me, his face enquiring as to why I was holding up proceedings.

"Before we go in there care to explain what the problem is?" He looked at me blankly. "You know, what sort of clusterfuck I'm walking into."

"As you no doubt heard we have managed to pick the one fucking eateries in this fucking city my parents and my ex wife are presently dining in," he sighed, I could see that his jaw was stiff. "We are going to go over and say hello and then we are going to eat before one of us passes out from hunger." Right on cue my stomach rumbled. I couldn't help but giggle, it felt terribly out of place in this nice restaurant. Edward smiled back and that small thing started to thaw the rapidly disintegrating atmosphere.

"Edward we don't have to eat here." I was hopeful that he would agree to this course of action. "We can go somewhere else. I mean, how will it look? Eating here whilst your wife is with your parents at another table?"

"Isabella I really don't give a fuck how it looks," he looked weary, but I think what he was saying was the truth. "As I've already said she is my ex wife. I was going to tell you over our meal that my divorce went through today". He tried to tug on my hand again but I stood my ground. I wasn't prepared to be dragged along in whatever he had planned.

"Have you thought I may not be ready to meet your parents or the ex wife just yet?" I took my hand out of his and crossed my arms across my chest. "Or that I would have liked some warning and time to prepare?"He turned to stand in front of me and brought both hands up to rest on my cheeks. He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

"Fuck I love being able to finally do that in public," he said as he went in to kiss me again.

"Edward, stop trying to change the subject, can we go somewhere else to eat please?"

"No Isabella," he said, resigned, "people have seen us now. In fact everyone including my parents are looking at us. We are going to walk over to their table, say hello and then go and sit at our own table and have something to eat." He took a deep breath and then kissed me on the mouth. "I'll warn you now, whatever my mother says will be direct and probably hurtful so please ignore her. If she is in any way appropriate I will deal with it at a more appropriate place and time."

"Great," I rolled my eyes, "that's just what I needed to hear."

"Isabella," he pulled my face up close so that I was looking directly into his eyes. "I'm divorced and if I have my way I will be married to you before the news of my divorce even hits the gossip columns. I have told you I want you but now is not the place to discuss our future. Meeting my mother would never have been easy, so let's get it out of the way and then we can get on with the rest of our day." He leaned over and whispered in my ear, his lips grazing my earlobe and sending a delicious shiver down my spine. "I don't know about you but I want to go back to your apartment and carry on what we have been doing all morning."

"Okay my dirty talker," I couldn't help but smile at him, "there must be a few new curse words I can coax out of you."

He took a step and looked at me. I knew that he knew that he had me. I took a huge breath in and smoothed my hair and shirt down before looking at him and nodding.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Fuck no! Let's get it over with, after all this they had better have cheesy fries on the menu or I'm going to be so pissed off."He roared with laughter as we walked towards the table and all four occupants looked startled as we got closer to them. It seems no one had seen Edward laugh before.

"Mother, Father, may I present Isabella Swan". His tone was polite, no hint of a challenge. He walked around the table and kissed his mother on her cheek.

"Good afternoon Isabella, it's a pleasure to meet you." His father stood and offered me his hand to shake. I took it and automatically dropped into business mode, this I could deal with.

"Mr Cullen, a pleasure to meet you Sir," I returned the handshake.

"This is my godfather Edward Denali," Edward gestured at the other man, "and his daughter Tanya." He waved a hand towards the blonde angry looking woman and studiously avoided eye contact.

"I am not just his daughter you shit," she spat, "I am also your wife." The rage behind the comment turned her beautifully made up face red and distorted. For one terrifying second I had a vision of the hatred inside her. It seemed she really hated Edward.

"Tanya," chided Edward's mother, "we do not ever use language like that in front of our guests. Whoever Isabella is, my son has seen fit to treat her to a meal and we will accommodate her." Mrs Cullen never once looked at me while she spoke. Her eyes were firmly fixed on our entwined hands.

"Well," said Edward with a fake smile, "it was nice to see you all but Isabella and I are hungry so ..." Before he could even finish his explanation his mother cut him off.

"You weren't at breakfast this morning Edward," her tone was petulant, almost whiney, "we waited for you and you didn't even have the decency to call me and let me know you weren't attending." Once again she neither acknowledged me nor looked at me.

"I was busy this morning mother," said Edward, a slightly icy undertone creeping into his polite delivery, "had I had the time or the inclination I would have called but as It was I had neither. My day so far has been both satisfying and extremely productive so I will not explain myself to you."

He squeezed my hand and led me to a table across the other side of the restaurant. He pulled out my chair and then playfully grabbed the intricately folded napkin, shook it out and laid it in my lap. I was sitting with my back to the room. Even though I couldn't see his family I could feel their eyes drilling into my shoulder blades. For the first time I started to see the attraction of a private room.

"Well that went well." I couldn't help the words escaping from my lips as soon as he sat down. Once again he roared with laughter. I wondered if he was putting on a show for the audience but one look at his face assured me he wasn't.

"Care to explain more about the wife becoming the ex-wife?"His laughter died as he reached across the table and left his hand palm up. He was offering me a connection and I presumed I was going to need it. I looked round to see what was happening but he stopped me.

"Isabella please don't look across there, look at me please."

I could see Seth in the bar area busy talking away on his phone while trying to eat a sandwich and sip from a cup of something. He caught my eye and smiled a genuine smile.

"I need to eat now and I need some answers so start talking Cullen." I picked up the menu and started to make my way down the list. It was a mixture of old style dishes covered in heavy sauces and pretentious style over substance meals. I groaned inwardly. I'd need a drive through stop on the way home.

"I knew they wouldn't have cheesy fries here," I muttered almost to myself.

"Isabella if that's what you want, that's what you will have. I have no doubt they will accommodate you"

I looked down the menu and saw a pasta dish that looked okay. "No it's okay I'll have the pasta." It was bad enough in here already without Edward's parents thinking I was some country hick that only ate diner food.

With the decision made I placed the menu down on the table. "Talk. "

Edward gave our orders to the hovering server before taking a sip of his ever present Scotch. I hadn't even noticed anyone put it down but I also had a glass of white wine in front of me. I took a sip.

"I went to my office last night to sign and file the divorce papers. Jasper and Alice met me there and he did whatever he needed to do make everything legal and I came out of my office a single man in the eyes of the law." He looked at me as if to gauge my reaction. I tried to keep my face bland. "The only fly in the ointment was that Tanya was there for some reason but I will deal with that tomorrow, I really don't want to think about anything today other than us."

"Us, I'm getting to quite like that word." I took a drink, it was my favourite wine, how the hell... I looked at Seth and he raised his mug at me, he had sent over the drinks presuming I'd need alcohol.

"I haven't said 'us' in that way before so it's very new for me too."Just as we both started to relax his phone rang, he looked at the screen and let out a sigh

"What do you want Emmett?" Edward barked.

"Yes I'm with her," he glanced at me, "do I have to keep reminding you her name is Isabella? Yes they are here in the restaurant." He looked away now, slightly angry.

"No ,you and Rosalie do not need to come and join us for moral support. I don't care if you are outside, Isabella and I do not need any company."

"Emmett," he looked at his phone as if he was checking the connection. As he did I heard the unmistakeable sound of Emmett as he acknowledged both Seth and the hostess.

"We are joining Mr Cullen and his guest,"

"Not fucking likely," Edward said but as he stood up to object I reached across and stopped him.

"Hey," I said, gently. He turned and fixed me with a steely gaze. He clearly wasn't used to being challenged, "It would be great to see Rosy again. I owe Emmett for coming to my rescue yesterday. Would it be so bad to sit and have a meal with them?"His face softened before returning to his Boss face.

"He is your brother first Edward, and she is going to be your sister in law."

"But I want us," his face resembled a small child who had had his toys taken away.

"We can have the rest of the day together, we are just talking about an hour, maybe an hour and a half tops."

He sat back down and started to re arrange the seating arrangements. "If I have to share our time you can at least sit next to me." He moved my wine glass from across the table so I changed places sitting next to him.

As Emmett entered the main room he walked straight over to us, with Rosalie firmly tucked under his arm. He was shielding her from the room and the look of pure terror on her face made me feel both better and sorry for her.

"Hey you two, sit down." Rosalie quickly slid into the chair opposite me, her back to the table across the room that had two women openly glaring at us.

"Belly Bean lovely as ever to see you," his warm smile was genuine as always, despite the situation, "managed to get into any more trouble so far today?"

"Emmett sit down, " Edward snapped.

"Hey calm, " I said resting my hand on his arm.

"He's attracting unwanted attention," Edward snapped."Wow," I told him levelly, "you sounded just like your mother then."

"You have met the old bat then," said Emmett with a small laugh.

"Well I wouldn't say met, I was in her presence for a few minutes," I looked over towards the table and I could tell it was very strained over there. The two men were talking but the Mrs Cullen and the ex Mrs Cullen were too busy staring at our table.

"I haven't met her, Emmy Bear keeps saying I won't like her so there isn't a need to meet her," Rosy said obviously unaware the woman in question was sat a few tables away.

"There are an awful lot of different Mrs Cullen's in the room," Emmett laughed and leaned forward kissing Rosy soundly on the lips.

Edward actually laughed at that comment and I felt him relax slightly. Just as he did my stomach growled so loudly I'm sure the staff in the kitchen heard it.

"Let's have some menus over here," Emmett shouted across the room so he could attract some attention. I could see the disgust on his mother's face.

"I'll just have whatever your having Emmy Bear," Rosalie said as the waiter brought over drinks for them.

"Can you add our meals onto their order? We will have two burgers with everything on, fries, onion rings and a side order of ribs," Emmett said without even looking at the menu.

"I wish I'd thought of that," I said, frowning, "I could really go for what you have just ordered."

I heard Edward sigh and then call over the server. He cancelled my pasta dish and asked them to add another burger on.

The three of us chatted easily. Edward held back a little but I continually tried to draw him into the conversation. It took until we were all eating that he finally spoke to Rosy, asking here if she and Emmett had met at the club. Once he actually joined him there was no stopping him, he actually spoke to his brother, not his business associate.

We were just finishing up when I saw the table across the room all stand and start to leave the dining room. Mr Cullen Snr came over to say goodbye but the others left without even acknowledging us.

So Mrs Cullen and the ex Mrs Cullen battle lines are drawn and set.


	29. Chapter 29

TNMC

I know Ms Meyer owns all things Twilight I'm just playing with the characters. No copyright infringement meant. The story though is mine.

Chapter 29

 **EPOV**

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the rest of the day had gone. Emmett and Rosalie were mildly amusing. My big oaf of a brother was obviously taken with the woman and while she wasn't my cup of tea, she had a sweetness to her that hadn't been immediately apparent. I was slightly fascinated by their ability to act as if they were the only two people in the room, even in a crowded restaurant. She clearly doted on him and they didn't seem to mind calling each other pet names, touching each other and even feeding each other in public. After my parents left the restaurant I was finally able to relax a little. I wanted to touch Isabella but my natural reserve kept us sat side by side, close but not touching.

I hadn't wanted my family to know about Isabella for a while, preferably she would have had a ring on her finger so that I could stop my mother trying to meddle. I could understand why Emmett was keeping Rosalie away from our mother; the poor girl would be eaten alive. Isabella, on the other hand, would hopefully be able to hold her own. I wasn't letting my mother get anywhere near her yet and I needed to address that situation as soon as possible.

Finally Isabella and the other two finished eating the pile of fat and grease they had ordered. Emmett and Rosalie decided to make the most of his day off and go to see a movie. I could tell Isabella wanted us to join them but I was sure Emmett would be happier without me there so I suggested to Isabella we do something else. She was torn and for a split second I nearly gave in and offered to go and see whatever Rosalie was gushing about. Although why anyone would want to waste a couple of hours watching animated dogs and cats run around was beyond me.

"Isabella and I have something planned I'm afraid." I caught Seth's eye and motioned for him to find a server and request the check.

"We do?" She looked at me questioningly, raising one eyebrow just a little.

"Yes we do." My tone was firm but bland."We do?" I'm not sure whether she saw something on my face or not but she took a second and then nodded. "We do apparently," she told Emmett with a cheeky grin.

"You really are fucked man," Emmett roared with laughter and leaned across the table, patting me hard on the shoulder. Despite Emmett's protests I paid for lunch. Rosalie's eyes widened when she saw the size of the tip that I left. I wasn't sure whether she just wasn't used to having money or, more uncomfortably, whether she had formed an opinion of me that made her surprised to see me treating the serving staff well. We said out goodbyes while Seth brought the Range Rover around to the front of the restaurant.

"Where to boss?" asked Seth as we got in to the back of the car.

Before I could answer Isabella answered him. ."Don't ask me,"

I looked at Isabella and she shrugged her shoulders, "you're the one who said we had plans." I could see Seth's smirk in the mirror.

"Home then Seth," I barked in my business tone.

"Which one?" he said

"Don't be fucking smart," I growled, "it doesn't suit you." What was it with these people and their smart ass comments?

We started to drive. I glanced at Isabella, wondering how we had managed to find ourselves sitting side by side again. I was aching to touch her. How would she react if I kissed her in front of Seth? I frowned to myself, thinking that Seth and the other guys knew too much about Isabella and I already. That thought led me to think about buying a new car that had a privacy screen and that in turn led me onto the prospect of a limo that could actually have enough room in the back so I could do all sorts of things to her. The thought of driving through town while she was sucking my... I shut the thought down quickly as I felt my pants tighten. The last thing I needed was to come in my suit pants while sat in the back seat of my car. What on earth was she doing to me? I should have been checking e-mails or scanning stock reports but all I wanted to do was find a way to spend more time with her.

"Whatever you're thinking about right at this moment," she whispered, in a low husky voice that held my attention more than a louder tone could have, "hold that thought, because when we get home I'm going to ride you so hard you will wonder how you will ever walk again." I could feel her breath caressing my ear lobe as she whispered against it. Her hand moved slowly up my thigh and innocently across my now rock hard length with the back of her hand. I don't think Seth noticed anything but I was hyper aware of her every movement and had to take a deep breath and hold it in. Thankfully we were only a few blocks from home.

The smile on her face was glorious, even a little smug. I knew she could see how affected by her I was. I was hoping she wasn't joking about riding me but her next words pointed to her doing just that.

"So," she said, in a more normal tone, "what do you have planned for us for the rest of the day?" She sank back into the seat, seemingly intuitively giving me space to calm down.

"Well we can go back to doing what we were doing before we went out? " I was certainly ready to go again and hopefully so was she.

"We could, have I unleashed a monster be any chance?" She smiled and leaned over, putting her hand on my thigh again. "Or you could take me to one of your clubs so I could have a look at some of your empire."

"Isabella," I snapped, suddenly angry at a single thought of work clouding this wonderful afternoon, "even I don't go to most of the places. I have managers and area managers for that. Plus, I'm certainly not taking you into those dives."

"I thought your places were classy?" I ignored her, letting the words hang between us. This was taking us squarely towards territory that I didn't want to be getting into, at least not until we were married. I reached over and grabbed her hand, trying silently to let her know that it wasn't her, it was me.

We sat in silence for the rest of the drive home, both of us seemingly deep in thought. Being a total dick I was thinking mainly about her riding me until I couldn't walk. Rather selfishly I hoped that my refusal to answer her question hadn't dampened her ardour. There were other thoughts in there as well, thoughts that surprised even me. Isabella in an apron, making apple pie, little Edwards running around the house, playing in the grounds, maybe even taking over from me like I had done from my father.

A quick nudge to my ribs bought me round and I quickly realised Seth was standing with my door open waiting for me to get out. How the hell had I missed the rest of the journey home?

"Will that be all for today Boss?" Seth asked.

I was undecided. I wanted Bella to stay the night but if she wanted to go back to her apartment I would need him later. I looked at Bella. "Will you stay here tonight with me?" Her responding smile was affirmative and as I turned to tell Seth he could go he was already getting back in the SUV.

"Call me if you need me Boss." He started the engine and tossed the words out the window as he put the car into gear. Did he know something that I didn't? I watched the vehicle start to pull away.

"Oh don't worry sweetheart," said Bella with a smile, "I'm sure you won't need any help from him. After all, you've coped admirably so far," She turned and walked into the entrance hall but all I could hear was Seth's raucous laughter as he sped off down the drive.

"You have spent far too much time with Emmett lately."I screamed after the vehicle.

"Edward get in here!" Bella must have hot footed it into the house.

I had to smile as I made my way through the entrance hall, trying to find her. "Where are you?" I shouted when I saw her jacket just past the bottom of the stairs. She had gone to either the den or my office. If she was in my office it was the only room not covered by the house security system. I needed some privacy in this fortress. I stopped and checked the den but it was empty so I opened the door to my office. There sat on my chair in just her panties, was the most beautiful vision I had ever seen. Her legs were extended and crossed at the ankles resting on my desk top. Her bottom, covered only in the briefest of lace scraps was pressed again the chair where I did my taxes and looked after business. I would never look at that worn soft brown leather in the same way again. I quickly stepped in and closed the door, locking it out of habit.

"You do know this is the only room in the house that doesn't have cameras, don't you?"

"Emmett told me when he gave me the tour," she replied smugly, "he told me how to stay in sight so the security team could track me if they needed to."

"Clever Emmett," I mused, "he does have his uses every now and again."

BPOV

I was nervous for some reason. Why the hell did I let my mouth run away and say something so vulgar and suggestive? Truth be told I didn't even know if I could ride him until he couldn't walk. My thigh muscles weren't in bad shape. I did some running, yoga and Pilates but prolonged sexcercise, well that was another matter. The last bit of the journey after my comment was quiet and charged. I could see Seth trying to understand what had happened, his eyes flicking between me, Edward and the road. I looked at Edward and it was quite easy to see what he was thinking about. He had a sort of glazed weird blank smile and I don't think he even registered that his hips were moving slightly backwards and forwards. I thought for a moment that my question about his club was going to ruin his mood. My sense of relief when he reached out and grabbed my hand was palpable. Well it seems all systems are go. I'm sitting in his big brown leather chair with my feet on the desk in just my panties and by the look on his face he is up for this. A quick glance down to the important region and that is definitely up for it, ready for action.

After exchanging some pointless chat I untangled myself and he started to walk towards me. I got up and as I got to the corner of the desk I stopped him.

"Strip Edward," he looked at me, a little confused. "Now." Shit it felt good to say that!

He reached up and took off his tie, his jacket, his vest and finally his shirt. This man wears far too many clothes. He just literally dropped them in a pile at his feet and I had to stop the person inside of me that wanted to pick it all up and fold it carefully. Finally we got to the good stuff and he unzipped his pants, pulling off his shoes and socks all at the same time. They joined the pile and he stood before me in just his tight navy blue Armani boxers, the wet patch already visible where the pre cum was seeping through.

"You seem to have forgotten an item," I said as I trailed my fingers over the ever growing bulge nestled tightly in his boxers. I desperately wanted to sink to my knees and take him in my mouth but that could wait till later. I had a vision now of being sat on his lap and I needed to try and recreate it.

He just looked down at me, his eyebrows raised as he started at my panties, I knew what he was getting at so for the sake of getting things moving along I wasted no time in just hooking my thumbs in the waistband, pushing my panties down and stepping out of them.

"Fuck Isabella I don't think I'll ever get bored or even used to seeing you like that," his voice was neither low nor quiet.

"Shhh, do you want the security team rushing in here to save you again?" I said slapping his chest.

He was still staring at me, you would have thought as he'd seen me in several different positions over the last day or so he might actually be used to the sight of my naked body but apparently not.

"Edward take off your underwear and go and sit in your chair." I was still touching him, soft gentle strokes as my fingertips made the hairs on his arms stand up and the goose bumps appear.

He did as he was told and I finally decided to look at the logistics of actually been able to ride him successfully in that position. I slid my first leg over his thigh and down under the arm of the chair so it was hanging down the side and my foot was on the ground. So far so well so I did the same movement again with the opposite leg and found myself sitting astride him as I'd planned. I loved the position I was in. I could feel his solid length beneath me and our chests were level, my nipples brushing against his soft chest hair. I leant forward to capture his lips, just a peck to start but I couldn't resist for long. Soon we were engrossed in a full out make out session, I had my hands in his hair as I pushed my tongue deep into his mouth.

"Ohhh, fuccccck, oooohhhh, shit."

"Problem Dear?" I said as I finally stopped to draw breath.

"No no problem," he said, in a strangled tone, "but can you sit still or I'm not going to last long enough to actually get inside you." His groan as I moved my hips proved he wasn't joking.

"I think the time has come to test your resolve," I murmured, "you have to start building up your stamina Edward. I wouldn't want to have to call you 'hair trigger Ed.'"

I went back in for another kiss but this time I made sure to rotate my hips in a figure eight. Slowly I moved hands from his hair and down his chest then started to gently tug on the hairs and brush my fingertips across his erect nipples.

"Shit I didn't realise my nipples could react like that," his words were soft and almost garbled. I'm sure I wasn't even supposed to hear them.

I raised myself slightly with the attention of finally sinking down on him but Edward had other ideas. My nipples were at the right height for him to latch on, and he did quickly, taking the whole of my nipple and most of the surrounding areole as well. I could feel his teeth as he teased my skin, his bite was hard, almost too hard but he soothed it with his tongue at the same time. I could feel the pull every time he sucked hard on me, the sensation racing from my nipple all the way to my clit and exploding like fireworks. I was having mini orgasms from his sucking and all I could do was try and force more of my breast into mouth.

"More, harder, fuck harder," I could feel my juices bubbling between my pussy lips, the smattering of pubic hair keeping it in place for the time being.

"Fuck Isabella, really," his eyes quested upwards, meeting mine, "could you take more?"

I moved, offering him my left nipple. It needed the same attention the right one had had. This time he really went to town and I knew I would have bite marks and bruises later on today. The more I moaned, the more it spurred him on. His lips were stretched as wide as they could go as he took more and more of my fleshy breast into his mouth. His teeth and tongue worked in tandem as my poor nipple grew more and more tender. Each flick of his tongue both soothed and excited me, while each nip and painful bite pushed me nearer and nearer an incredible orgasm.

"Have you ever come just from breast stimulation Isabella?"

I didn't have time to answer before he was back tormenting my right nipple. The pain was becoming unbearable but the orgasm that was building was going to be incredible.

"I need to come!" I screamed as I tried to pull away from him. His teeth stopped me moving too far as he clamped down on grossly enlarged and swollen nipple.

He lifted me at the waist and manoeuvred me until I could feel his erection underneath me. As he pulled once more on my nipple he slammed me down on his length and I screamed. I screamed at being filled with his length, I screamed at the pain he'd inflicted on my poor nipples but most of all I screamed at the explosion that over took my body. My clit throbbed, my pussy walls clenched around him and juices poured out of me. I wanted to cry out, I wanted to curse but most of all I wanted to keep this feeling going on forever.

"Are you okay angel? Did I go too far?" His voice was calm as he stroked my hair. I raised my head and looked straight into his eyes and for the first time I had an understanding of the real Edward Cullen, the one that had been kept at bay for the last few years.

"No it wasn't too much it was incredible." I kissed him gently on his lips. I could feel he was still solid inside me, he hadn't come.

"Don't take this the wrong way but I'm surprised you haven't come yet." I didn't want to break the spell but it was different from the last few days.

"Let's just say that I'm finding my feet and already starting to trust you enough that I can let go and be myself, it's been a very long time since I've felt like that." He kissed me again, hard and deep as his tongue explored my mouth. "These last few days have been about us connecting and me getting back in touch with my own body never mind yours."

I pushed myself up on my toes and started to work his length. It was an amazing feeling, feeling him slip in and out me. I controlled it well, never actually allowing him to slip out of me altogether.

"Fucking hell, fuck, fucking hell, fuck, shit, so good, oh fuck, bastard, ahhhh," the stream of language coming from Edward could probably only be heard by dogs and satellites at the moment, he was trying so hard not to make too much noise but he didn't seem to have any control.

I started to move my hips in the shape of a figure eight and I interspersed that with pushing myself up and down every so often. I was getting incredible friction both inside and on my clit but I was concentrating so hard on what I was doing I was managing to keep my next orgasm under control.

"Edward Cullen I knew you would have a dirty mouth in the bedroom, I even wondered about it that first day in the penthouse, I just didn't know whether it would be the language or your words that would be filthy." I knew he was listening me, but I don't think he was able to put words into sentences, I could see the confusion on his face as he wondered what I meant. "Well, I wondered Edward whether you would just swear constantly like you have done so far or whether you would like to talk dirty to me." As I said that I felt his cock judder inside me.

"Oh so you like the idea of talking dirty to me do you or do you want me to talk dirty to you?" All the time I was talking my hips never missed a beat, my yoga and Pilates classes were finally paying off.

"Do you want me to describe to you how I can feel your beautiful solid cock rubbing against my pussy walls? How my juices are making me all wet and that I can feel them running down the inside of my pussy and they are collecting on you balls and round my assh..."

Before I could even finish describing what was happening he roared with the loudest noise I'd ever heard come out of a human being. I quickly smoothed his mouth with mine as plunged my tongue into his mouth I stepped up the pace of my rotations and let myself finally feel everything. I came soon after, still kissing him.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thank you to LL for getting this back to me in a far better state than I sent it out.

I need to say a HUGE HUGE thank you to everyone who has reviewed, we have passed 2000 reviews on FF, the most I have ever received on one of my stories and the same can be said on TWCS, the most reviews I have ever received on a story. I do try to answer every one of them if I haven't answered you I'm sorry.

Lastly I hope everyone is safe in the LA area, the wild fires look horrendous, I hope you are all safe.


	30. Chapter 30

TNMC

Chapter 30

No copyright Infringement meant.

EPOV

I was up, dressed and working in my office at the club as the first light fingers of dawn crept across the dark sky. My body ached, I needed some sleep, but if the choice was Isabella's body or my sleep it was no contest I couldn't get enough of her. So as I sat at my desk drinking my third cup of coffee I was already questioning why I had left Isabella sleeping in my bed. I know I should have woken her, she would probably be when be annoyed waking up alone, however she looked so calm and peaceful I couldn't bear it. I had left her a note to call me when she woke so although I was trying to deal with some important business one eye kept straying to the screen of my phone, irrationally terrified that I would miss her call.

I was having trouble concentrating this morning. The office felt tainted. What was usually my sanctuary had been invaded by both Isabella and Tanya lately, my past and future almost colliding in this very room. I pushed my hair back from my forehead with two hands, trying to get my mind back on the job in hand. The first major item on the agenda was viewing the pictures the team had lifted from the mall cameras. Second, I had to speak to my mother. The thought put me on edge already. I might leave that until later, maybe she would be mellow after yet another wine fuelled lunch at the country club. Last but far from least, I had to deal with Mr Whitlock's transgressions. Luckily for him my sister would never forgive me for shooting him, so I had to come up with a more suitable punishment for letting not only himself, but Tanya and Alice too into my office.

"Emmett!" I bellowed into the corridor. He should know I was here by now.

"Morning Boss," he replied, equally loudly. I heard his steps, heavy on the stairs as he ascended.

"Before we get started I presume that the office was swept after the late night visit ?"

"Yes, I had the entrance area, the stairwell and your office checked, all clean"

I nodded and he started to sit down.

"Photos from the mall," I snapped, "what do you have?"

He waved a brown envelope in one hand, indicating that he had them then spread the different stills on the desk. The pictures were black and white and slightly grainy. My stomach flipped a little, maybe they weren't going to be good enough quality for us to get anything? There were multiple different angles of the same man but never quite a complete picture. He seemed remarkably ordinary. Medium height, medium build, chain store clothes, face always somehow a little turned away from the CCTV cameras as if he was aware of where each one was. He was good. I sincerely hoped we were better. Emmett laid the final image down and whilst you could tell it was not a true photograph, the imagery was 3D and we had what appeared to be a complete facial image of the elusive Mr Jarvis.

"Do you know the face?" I asked staring at the image. There were no distinctive features, no tattoos, nothing to distinguish this man from an average joe.

"No," he shook his head, his mouth set into a grim line. "Alex is trying to hack into the FBI database at the moment, although it seems they have updated one or two things since he lasted visited. Once in though he's going to run that image through the facial recognition database to see if it gets any hits."

"Okay," I nodded, "keep me posted. Make sure every fucker who works for me is on the lookout for this shit. I do not want him near Isabella again."

"Already done. We have pictures out there so even the girls and the guys in the clubs are looking for him. I offered a little incentive so if he is known or shows up believe me someone will shout." I could see from Emmett's demeanour he was as annoyed as I was that we didn't know who this guy was.

"What have you offered?" I narrowed my eyes at him. It wasn't like Emmett to do something that involved family money without checking with me first.

"I wasn't too specific," he said, "depending on who comes forward it could be anything from a few grand to a gram or two. Let's wait and see what happens." I understood what he was saying and moved the topic on.

"I'm going to call mother and warn her off Isabella." I don't know why I told him that. However if he was helping me protect her from Mr Jarvis he could surely know about my effort to protect him from our family.

"Too late bro," he laughed, so loud I almost jumped, "she already called and quizzed me about her.".

"What the fuck did you tell her?" I was trying to keep calm, this could go either way.

"I told her to mind her own business for once, that when you were ready you would talk to her." His face turned more serious. "I did tell her to back off though, but you know mother," I raised my eyebrows to indicate that I did, "I doubt she took any notice."

I stood looking at the huge figure in front of me and for once I saw my brother and not the fuckwit that drove me insane on a daily basis. I must be getting soft in my old age or Isabella has fucked the toughness out of me temporarily because I had some stupid urge to actually hug him. Before I did something I would probably regret later, I went and sat down behind my desk.

"Thanks for that Emmett," I dismissed him, turning my attention back to my laptop, "I'm going to speak to her regardless, but I appreciate what you said."

"Okay," he accepted the praise a little warily, moving slowly toward the door, "I'm going to go and see how Alex is getting on. Paul and I have a bet going on how long it takes it him to get into the database."

"Good morning Isabella," I snatched up my phone before it barely rang out loud. I couldn't keep the pleasure out of my voice. "How are you feeling this morning?" My pants tightened at the mere sound of her voice and a sudden mental replay of what we had inflicted upon each other's bodies last night.

"I just wanted to say thank you for this weekend," she said, a little shyly, "despite how it started I had a wonderful time. I just wanted to talk to you and tell you that."

"You are most welcome. I had an incredible weekend too," suddenly I couldn't bear the thought of being apart from her for even one night. "Are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Yes," she giggled, "but this time I'm either cooking or I'm going to choose where we eat. "I don't think my system could cope with anymore rich food."

"You can't call what you had to eat yesterday rich food," I was genuinely aghast, "it was just a burger and fries." I could hear her laughing at me and the sound travelled from my ear all down my right side until it settled in my groin. Everything about her affected my poor abused cock.

"It may have been just burger and fries but believe me it was a posh burger and fries," her tone was firm, "so tonight I'm cooking. What time will you be able to get away?"

"I have no idea," I told her, honestly. "I have a few things that need to be sorted today and then it depends on what happens. If it's a quiet day then I should be able to get to you around seven."

"I can work with that," she paused a second, seemingly distracted by something. I could envisage her checking her diary. "I have to go and show the penthouse to a client. Then I have a couple of viewings across town. I guess I can pick up some fresh veggies while I'm out."

"Isabella promise me you won't go anywhere without Quil? I will be so angry with you if you ever do anything like that again". I used my boss voice, but I knew by now it really didn't have any effect on her.

"Well seeing as you asked nicely and you used that voice," she giggled a little again, "I think I can be persuaded to behave. But, what happens if you get angry with me?" She was playing with me but the difference this time was that I could actually spot it.

"Well last time I really wanted to put you over my knee and spank you," even as I said it out loud I cringed. Why the fuck did I actually say that out loud? She will think I'm some kind of pervert. I waited to hear the dial tone as she hung up on me disgusted.

"My my Edward Cullen there is hope for you yet," her voice was low, private, definitely flirtatious. "With that prospect I might actually risk ditching Quil and taking my chances." With that she hung up and I sat staring at the phone, what the fuck did she mean?

I quickly dialled Quil.

"It's okay boss," he said, without even a greeting, "I see her, she is walking towards me now."

Before I could say anything else I heard her speak to Quil,

"If that's Edward tell him I'm going to be a good girl. At least for today." This woman is going to make me combust, I really can't see another ending.

"I'll look after Boss. Don't worry, I won't let her out of my sight." He hung up.

An hour later I sat still for a moment and surveyed the chaos in my office. I had drunk two more cups of coffee and both empty cups lay discarded on the desk. I had re-examined all of the photographs of Jarvis and they too lay discarded on the desk. Finally, unable to concentrate on anything else I had rearranged my whisky collection. It was only then that I admitted to myself my hard on wasn't going to go away. The image of Bella bent over my desk with her skirt hitched up round her waist and her panties round her ankles just kept playing like a video on repeat. In the end I just had to go and relieve myself in my private bathroom.

"Fuck Cullen," I said to myself, as I closed the bathroom door behind you. "Jacking off at 7.30 in the morning, what the fuck is happening to you?"

"You are becoming a man my son," My father's voice startled me, I hadn't seen him sat in the chair. It was a high wing back and he was completely hidden from me.

"How the hell did you get in here?" I snapped. I was getting sick of people invading my personal space.

"Well the fact I'm your father and the former Boss gives me some clout you know." I moved around the office so that I could see him. He smiled a greeting and saluted me with a small whisky he had poured himself.

"Isn't it a bit early for that?" I couldn't help but smile, hadn't he said the exact same thing to me the last time he'd been in this office.

"It's five o'clock somewhere," he swallowed the measure and put the glass down.

"I came to warn you," he said, seriously, "your mother is on a mission. Your antics at the restaurant this weekend have put her on full alert. She wants to know who, what, where and why. She has already asked Emmett and Alice." I stiffened a little. He took the top off the bottle and poured himself another whisky. "Luckily for you they have both basically told her to mind her own business so she is busy amending her will yet again to disinherit them."

I had to laugh, mother kept the lawyers on constant alert because every time one of us did something she didn't approve of she changed her will to punish us. What she didn't realise was we really didn't care. We had more than enough 'family money' that I controlled for all of us and the next few generations, so mother could give hers to the local homeless shelter for all we cared.

"Emmett has already warned me, in fact I was just going to ring her but I got distracted." If any other person had caught me coming out of the bathroom I would have probably been a little embarrassed but my father was different. He was the one who has always been there for me. He would understand my feelings for Isabella.

"Are you going to tell me how you met her?" he asked, hovering the bottle over an empty glass. I shook my head, I needed to be thinking clearly.

"For now it's very new and I'm newly divorced, so..." I tried to play it down but deep down I knew it was a waste of time.

"Bullshit son," he slammed the glass onto the desk. "Your mother, Tanya and I all saw the look on your face, that girl is no rebound fling."

"Shit, I was hoping to keep it under wraps for a while yet at least."

"Well, Edward Senior didn't notice, he was too busy ogling the server," he snorted, "although I'm sure Tanya will fill him in pretty quickly."

My phone rang. We both turned toward the shrill noise.

"It's your mother," he said, darkly.

"How the fuck can you know that," I spluttered, "you can't even see my phone from there."

"I just felt a chill down my spine. I'm telling you that is your mother calling."

I looked over at the screen and sure enough it was.

"She won't go away either," he cautioned, as we both watched it flick back to a blank screen again as she hung up. "If you don't answer her she will just keep calling, be warned." He nodded and quietly left the office just as my phone started to blow up again.

"Mother good morning," I said stiffly, "how are you today?"

"Don't you good morning me you ungrateful boy," she began, in sharp clipped tones. "I've spent weeks hosting dinner parties and cocktail soirees so you could have a proper wife this time, and what do you do? You hook up with some tramp and then parade her round my territory, in one of my restaurants."

I let her finish, it was pointless trying to interrupt her while she was in full flow. I'd learnt early on as a boy that she didn't stop until she was finished, no matter how loud I shouted to try and talk over her.

"Have you quite finished mother?" I asked when it seemed that she was running out of steam. The response was silence. "Good," I continued, "because I am only going to say this just once. If I ever hear you bad mouth Isabella, or hear from a third party you have bad mouthed her, I will ruin you, do you understand me?" I could almost hear her mouth opening and closing in indignation. "I have put up with your interference and meddling my whole life but it stops now. I am a grown man, quite capable of making my own decisions and choices. I promise you if you mess this up for me I will make sure you can't show your face in the state again. I will make you wish I'd never been born. Am I making myself clear enough for you?"

There was silence on the other side of the phone. She must have forgotten that it was her that taught me her strategy. She was obviously hoping that I would feel the need to fill the silence with words and finally start watering down my statement and apologising. Instead of doing so I slid open my desk drawer, put the phone in it with the call still connected then closed it. I picked up one of my replacement phones, quickly programmed it to have my calls forwarded to it and walked out of the office. Mother would realise soon enough I wasn't going to capitulate this time.


	31. Chapter 31

TNMC

No copyright Infringement meant. I know Ms Meyer owns these characters, the story plot is mine.

I hope you all had an amazing day yesterday, personally mine was a wash out, a sickness bug that knocked me for six but I'm loads better today so we get to have Christmas day all over again.

This chapter is a little different, but I thought you would enjoy finding out what's happening away from our couple.

Chapter 30

TANYA POV

I knocked on the dark wood door of the den and waited the years of old ingrained smell of leather and cigarette smoke already in my nose. Normally I wouldn't wait outside like one of the staff but today I needed Daddy in the best possible mood. I had planned this meeting carefully, deliberately catching him after breakfast and in his favourite room in the house, his refuge from a house full of women. My look was carefully constructed, make up was light and fresh, pyjamas modest and girlish and hair was loose but clean and shiny. I looked younger than my 32 years and hopefully it would remind Daddy I still needed looking after.

He growled a welcome and I walked into the room, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpet.

"Morning Daddy," I kissed him on the cheek then sat alongside him on the leather couch he had owned and ruled for as long as I could remember. It wasn't a patch on the antique fainting couch I had lost. I got ready to unleash the pout that always worked when I really wanted something. My anger rose to the surface as I thought of all my beautiful things that had gone up in flames in the removal van. "So, do we have a plan?"

"Plan my darling? Why would I have a plan?" He looked up from his newspaper and smiled. He knew that I wanted something but he wasn't crass enough to get straight to the point. I on the other hand didn't believe in beating around the bush. I would do whatever it took to get what I wanted.

"You must have a plan," I just managed to stop myself snapping at him, I needed him on side. "We can't just leave it like this; Edward has destroyed my business, no more than that he has destroyed my whole life".

He folded the newspaper carefully on his knee. Encouraged, I continued, "I'm sure he had something to do with James disappearing. He's taken away my home and security and already started to parade a new slut around. What are you going to do about it?" Before he could say anything I unleashed the pout in full force, eyed downcast and slightly closed, eyelashes fluttering, but not too quickly and bottom lip alternating between being pushed or quivering slightly.

"Tanya darling," he took off his reading glasses and looked directly at me, "what do you expect me to do? You were unfaithful. You and James were stealing from him and as my source informed us, you are now divorced after that idiot Whitlock fast tracked the paperwork."

"I don't give a shit about the divorce," I hissed before catching myself, "what I am upset about is that my settlement was an insult, I'm entitled to far more than a measly hundred grand." I didn't tell him that Edward had somehow managed to clear out the accounts holding the money that I had skimmed or earned from my business dealings. I still didn't know how he had managed that. I really had underestimated him.

"Had you covered your tracks better and not slept with James in your home all of this could have been avoided," the paper rustled as he laid it on the coffee table in front of him. "Darling," he sighed, "did you not think that as soon as Edward was made head of the family he would have stepped up the security around the house? Last I heard cameras covered every room in the house excluding his bedroom, yours and his office. Had you kept your activities to your room he would never have had any proof."

My father raised his eyebrows at me and for a fleeting second I had the first pangs of regret, not at being unfaithful, I'd never regret that, but that we had been so blatant about it. We had defiled most of the house during our affair. Affair wasn't the correct term at all, in reality James was the love of my life. Something must have happened to him. He would never have gone this long without speaking to me, even when he was on the move we still spoke every day. The adrenalin rush I'd get when I was speaking to James in my bedroom while I knew Edward was trying to find him was incredible. The power of the orgasms I had just from listening to James on the phone while I could hear Edward screaming at his men because he couldn't locate him could never be repeated. I knew deep down that Edward either had him somewhere he couldn't contact me or he was already dead. I caught the emotion before my father saw it, Edward would pay for all this.

"You need to trust your old daddy my darling," his voice softened. I realised I hadn't been able to hide my distress. "I will always look after you."

I smiled a genuine smile, I did trust him and I knew he would always look after me. "So," I changed the subject, "why did you bring Mom and me home early from our vacation?"

"Your Mom informed me you were getting a little... sloppy shall we say. I know you want to find James but we both know Edward could not let him live for either of his crimes. Stealing alone would have warranted punishment but fucking his wife in his home?" He shook his head, a slightly harsher note creeping into his voice, "you really might as well as signed his death warrant and left it on the side in the kitchen." He massaged the bridge of his nose; a gesture I recognised meant that he was stressed underneath his placid exterior. "I needed you home, my angel, where I could keep an eye on you and keep you safe." He leaned over and patted my hand. I knew he was right, I'd made a few silly decisions on the cruise, calling people I really shouldn't have trying to find any trace of James.

"I need to know what happened to my James daddy," I whined, "where is he?"

"He's gone angel. The sooner you deal with that the sooner you can sort out this mess and get your ex husband back. "

He delivered that statement without an ounce of emotion, but the shock must have been evident on my face. I could never envisage going back there.

"Back," I couldn't stop my voice from rising, "why would I want that shit back in my life? I hate him! I hate everything about him."

"You may do angel," he said levelly, "but I need you back in the fold, and that means back in his life, back in his good books and back in his bed."

"Daddy I really don't think that is going to happen," I tried to reign myself in, "too much has gone on for us to get back to co-existing like we were. Anyway, Esme seems to think he is really taken with this new slut, Irene or Irma or Isabella."

"I'm dealing with her," he said firmly, "you just need to be ready to pick up the pieces. I want you in Edward's vicinity all the time from now on. If he goes to dinner you need to turn up. If he visits his mother make sure your there. Be ready to comfort him."

"Comfort him?" I was incredulous. "Besides, how could I even do that? I don't have access to his diary anymore."

"Don't you have any friends still inside the house? Surely one or two of the guards or the help could let you know what's going on and where he is going to be"

I didn't have the heart to tell him I hadn't treated anyone in my home well, I didn't have a hope in hell of getting anything from anyone there. "What are you planning Daddy?"

"You really don't need the details Tanya," he put on his reading glasses again and picked up the newspaper from his lap. I was being dismissed. "Trust your Daddy. I will always look after you." I left him to read his newspaper, no wiser as to what he had planned. What was comforting is that I was sure Edward Cullen's days were numbered.

Carlisle Cullen POV

"Carlisle, we need to talk." Here it comes, I thought, I've been waiting for this since we left the restaurant earlier. I could tell she was in no mood to listen, not that she ever is anymore, but she was in full flow and it was best for all concerned that I just let her get it out of her system.

"What do we need to talk about, my love?" I couldn't resist baiting her, she hated any term of endearment. In fact, it seemed over the years she'd have been much happier if everyone, including me and her children, had all referred to her as Mrs Cullen.

"Don't be facetious Carlisle it doesn't suit you." Her expensive perfume wafted under my nose. The cloying scent engulfed me and I suppressed a shudder She floated across the room, clad in skilfully tailored linen, before perching on the edge of the couch across from me. As I put down my copy of the Herald I looked at her and wondered where my Esme had gone. The years and her surgeons had been kind to her, she could pass for a woman in her early forties quite easily but the bitterness in her soul showed on her face and nothing could hide that. What I wouldn't give for a glimpse of the carefree woman I married, the one who would think nothing of drinking beer from a bottle while we watched a game on TV. I tried to recall when it had all started to change and the only thing I could pin point was my father turning the family over to me.

I had hoped Edward would have more support at home when his time came. We had talked long and hard about his future wife and Tanya seemed to tick all the boxes. She knew all about the family business because her father had spent time as my consigliore. She had grown up with Edward and they had a good solid friendship, we all hoped it would blossom into something more. How wrong we were and the display in the restaurant earlier had proved that. While Tanya had been a complete failure as a wife and partner, this new woman seemed to have already made a mark. My son, the serious business man had laughed and talked continually. He was at ease with her and if I wasn't mistaken very much in love with her already.

"Esme," I began, before she had a chance to begin, "how would you feel about going on vacation? A cruise maybe or somewhere warm where we could kick back and relax, feel the sun on our bodies and just spend some time together, the two of us?" Her look of disgust meant she didn't need to answer me verbally.

"How can you even think about that when the family is in such disarray?" She glared at me. I had done nothing wrong but somehow that look managed to make me feel guilty. "Emmett is fawning all over that common little waitress and now we have to deal with Edward. How dare he parade some unknown tart around my city without thinking about the consequences? I have several pretty but pliable young ladies ready for him to meet. They will all do as they are told and he could easily keep them away from his other life".

"Esme," I told her, gently, "you know as well as I do that it's impossible to keep the two sides separate. There will be times when she has to host dinners and parties and it will not be possible to keep his two lives from colliding. He needs a strong woman at his side, one that loves him no matter which set of associates he is dealing with."

Of course she knew this. Together we had started to merge the two worlds bringing the family out of some illegal activities and opening more legal businesses to help launder the cash and hide assets. Esme was quite the business woman in her own right. It was her alone who had made it her mission to ensnare all the public figures she could in her world of charities, summer balls and winter fundraisers. The next Mrs Cullen had a lot to live up to.

"I need you to speak to Edward," she said, changing tack, "you need to explain to him he can't be seen out and about with this woman already. I have no problem with him keeping her in an apartment somewhere so he can get an itch scratched when he needs it, but it's too soon, the ink on his divorce papers isn't even dry yet."

Ouch. I'm sure that was a dig about my own mistress, Elizabeth, secreted safely away in an apartment in Midtown. What she didn't realise was that I would have dropped that woman in a heartbeat if Esme hadn't pulled away and distanced herself from me.

"He is a grown man Esme," I replied firmly. "If you try to interfere you may not like the outcome. I have a feeling our boy is in love for the first time and that is a powerful thing."

"Love," she scoffed, "what does that have to do with anything? He needs a woman who knows her place, at his side."

"Like you?" I couldn't help but grin even though I knew it would antagonise her. "You were definitely the meek and mild wife who stayed home and raised the children, never asked questions and accepted when I didn't come home at night."

I watched as she wrestled with how to respond. Esme was a force to be reckoned with, even back then. The only thing she didn't get involved with was actually pulling the trigger, but she had been present a number of times when it had needed to happen.

"I'm different Carlisle and you know it," there was steel and a hint of pride in her voice, "there will never be another like me." She stood up, ready to flounce off in her cloud off sweet perfume.

"Don't be so sure," I told her. "This woman has been around for a while in fact I'm sure I've seen her at his office."

"That's all we need," she growled, "another low life waitress. The only thing the next generation will be able to do is open a food truck or work in a burger joint." I let my laughter follow her out. Waitress or not, times were changing, Esme knew that as well as I did or she wouldn't be so rattled.

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Thank you so much to Ladyletters for getting this back to me. She was editing this Christmas Eve after just getting back from a trip away.

Merry Christmas to all of you ,I hope you have a calm and festive time with lots of love and happiness.

Special love to AJG, Donna, Judy, Sharon and Tracy and of course Ladyletters.


	32. Chapter 32

TNMC

Chapter 32

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2018 brings you everything you dream of.

BPOV

My eyes opened and I started to stretch to wake up the rest of my body, but my vision was still fuzzy when I realised that the bed was too soft and too big. It definitely wasn't mine. I turned onto my side to look for Edward. Two things became apparent very quickly. One, he wasn't there. Two my body ached from head to toe and despite the long lie in I still felt deliciously exhausted. If I ever got round to training for a marathon I suspected this is how I would feel the morning after. Of course, it would be more socially acceptable to scream about my running success from the rooftops. I made myself get out of bed and walked gingerly to the shower. My legs felt like jelly and I'm sure my poor pussy sighed in relief when it heard the shower start. The water was hot and soothing as it ran all over my body. My breasts were tender, bruised and marked with Edward's passion, a visible reminder of our intense evening. I reached for the body wash to find my favourite brand sat next to a blue bottle that must have been his. It wasn't the right scent but he had obviously remembered the brand from my bathroom at home. His attention to detail made me smile yet again.

Finally clean and a little less stiff I made me way to the kitchen. I dressed in my pants and lavender shirt, aware that I was leaving the privacy of his room and entering the areas his men would be overseeing. The coffee pot was set up and ready to go. I pressed the button and opened the fridge to reach for the milk. There, taped to the bottle was a little note.

 _ **Good Morning Beautiful,**_

 _ **I do hope you slept well. I had an early appointment so I had to leave but please call me on my private number as soon as you get this.**_

I had already been thoroughly instructed in the ways of contacting Edward. Apparently there were many layers to get through unless you had his private number. It was only his family and inner circle who had this private number so I was very privileged. I rang and he answered instantly. The conversation went the same way as all our chats seemed to go at the moment, packed with innuendo and sexual tension. Nothing seemed to have changed now we had done the deed. The one thing that did tickle me was the excitement in his voice when he talked about putting me over his knee. Last night made it quite clear that when Edward finally lets his defences down and loses control he likes his sex rough. I'm all for trying anything once and the future is definitely looking rosy. We needed to talk though. We needed to both be on the same wavelength about what was acceptable.

I mentally ran through what I had to do today. After getting changed and picking up some paperwork from home I had a couple of viewings and a visit to the penthouse planned. Grabbing my coffee to go and my purse, I made my way to the foyer where I could see Quil waiting for me, he was on the phone and I knew he was getting his instructions for the day. I couldn't resist a quip as soon as I knew I was in hearing distance

"If that's Edward," I shouted, "tell him I'm going to be a good girl today at least."

I carried on out of the house without waiting for an answer but I'm sure my walk had a little bit of extra swagger, buoyed by the memory of last night.

"Where to first Bella?" Quil slipped the phone into his pocket and ran a few steps to catch up with me.

"Home first please, I can pick up my truck, get changed and then I have some business to attend to." Quil pulled the door open and I got into the back. "Err, Bella?" He sounded a little tentative as he got into the front seat and looked at me in the rear view mirror. "As I've been following you around, the Boss thinks I may as well drive you from now on."

A tiny flare of anger or maybe defiance rose up inside me. I didn't want to be some sort of kept woman. I had my own place, my own car and a small but successful business. I didn't need to be chauffeured around like some stupid trophy wife.

"It would save on gas," continued Quil, in a rush, perhaps sensing my annoyance, "plus it would give me less opportunity to lose you."

"Fine," I grumbled, remembering he probably got into trouble the day he got kidnapped and lost me. "Just don't expect me to sit in the back all the time if we are doing this then I'm up front with you."

He smiled as the electric gates closed behind the car and we pulled into the traffic.

The drive across town was easy and I could hear the chatter as Emmett, Paul and Alex all checked in with Quil and each other.

"Good morning Bella," Alex strode from behind the desk from where he had been reading a paperback. I glanced at the cover and the author was someone I'd never heard of and I considered myself quite well read.

"Morning Alex," I made a note to myself to remember to ask him about the book and why he seemed to have been here virtually round the clock in the last few days when there really was no need. I wondered then how they ate when they were here on shift and if they had could get coffee and whether I should start to leave them something to eat when I left and maybe a thermos or two.

I paid no attention to the familiar surroundings as I climbed the stairs so it was a surprise when I put my key in the lock and nothing happened. It wouldn't turn. I tried it again, going so far as even taking the key out just to check I was actually trying the correct key. Nothing, but before I could even step away from the door I heard heavy footsteps running up the staircase behind me. Well, I thought, at least the CCTV was good for something.

"The door…" I began as I turned to see who had come to my rescue.

"Bella," yelled Quil, "step away from the door now."

I turned fully to look at him.

"Bella now" He had his gun in his hand. I could tell that he wasn't kidding around. He gestured for me to go downstairs.

I stepped back away from the door and waited for something to happen but Quil just grabbed me and helped or pushed depending on who you asked, me down the stairs until I was back in the foyer.

"What the hell is going on?" the question wasn't really directed at anyone in particular, I just needed to know what they knew.

Alex was back behind the desk, staring at the CCTV scenes and typing frantically into two separate laptops.

"Maybe nothing." Alex finally acknowledged my question when I glared at him.

"We had a power cut last night," he continued, "just for a few minutes. There was nothing out of the ordinary but it seems a little coincidental that just after the incident your front door lock suddenly doesn't work."

"Don't you think you are being just a little over cautious here?" I walked behind the reception desk and studied the black and white screens alongside him. Quil appeared to be trying to pick my lock. On a separate screen a large black van pulled up outside and just sat. I could tell from the exhaust fumes that the engine was still running.

"Alex is that van one of ours?"

"No!" He looked up and his face said it all, he hit a button on his ear piece, and then on his wrist before he drew his gun from the holster under his arm and his phone from his inside pocket. He plugged his phone into the laptop and instantly the foyer was filled with sounds of shouting.

"What the fuck is happening and where is Bella?" I recognised the voice as Emmett's and I looked round for him.

"Bella, back room," he gestured to what I had always assumed was the staff room beyond the CCTV station.

"What's going on?" It wasn't really the time to stamp my foot and demand answers, the chaos erupting around me as Quil came charging down the stairs shaking his head at Alex and the look on both their faces was enough to tell me to do as they asked. Even to my own ears my voice sounded scared and a little pathetic.

"No time," he replied, tersely. "Back room, lock the door."

"Bella honey, do as Alex says, I'm on my way and will be with you in a few minutes. I'll also let Edward know what's happening" It was Emmett's voice again and I still wasn't sure how he knew what was happening or where he was.

Alex ushered me into the room I knew was there but had never been in before. It was kitted out very similarly to the control at the club as well as the CCTV the room had a small kitchen area, computers screens, a bed and a bathroom. I locked the door.

I sat down in front of the screen and watched as Alex walked down a corridor, gun still drawn. On a separate screen the black van pulled away. It might have been silent but with the way that the van listed then pulled off I imagined the squeal of tyres that would accompany it. Alex appeared again, chasing the van for a few paces before realising it was futile and stopping. I didn't have to be there to know that it was expletives that were falling from his mouth.

A few moments later I saw Emmett arrive on yet another screen. He and Alex had a brief, tense chat then they entered the building. A few moments later they popped up on another camera, right outside my apartment door. My knuckles were white, gripping the arms of the leather chair as I watched Alex training his gun on my door. They nodded to each other then Emmett kicked the door. On the third kick it smashed open. My heart was in my mouth as I watched. I waited one minute, then two. Finally I couldn't wait any longer. I unlocked the door and stepped back out in to the foyer, I was just at the bottom of the stairway when I heard Emmett coming down the stairs.

"Someone has injected a strong glue or resin based product into the lock and it's seized, there was no way to open the door without either drilling the lock out or breaking the door down, either way she isn't getting in there until I've made sure the apartment is safe."

I knew who he was talking to because I could hear Edward screaming down the phone at him. I walked over to him and gestured for the phone, Emmett grinned and passed it to me

"Edward I'm fine, "

"Isabella what the fuck are you doing out of the safe room"

"Hello to you too sweetheart now I'd really like to know what's going on here, would someone like to tell me?"

"Get the fuck back into the safe room until we know what's going on, do not go anywhere without Quil and Emmett, in fact stay in the safe room until I get there, I'm 30 minutes out if Seth decides to actually use the fucking skills he assures me possesses."

As I listened to him rant it reminded me of the first day I met him when he was stood in the penthouse ranting at that poor employee. He had been doing really well at being calmer around me lately but this was going to set him back.

"I will go back into the safe room if you ask me nicely and say please"

I was only trying to diffuse the situation, it probably wasn't the best thing to say, especially when Emmett and Seth both simultaneously broke out into fits of laughter. Seth caught himself quickly but Emmett just patted me on the back and took the phone out of my hand as he guided me back into the small room.

"You really are going to get Seth shot you do realise that don't you Bella" he said as he closed the door leaving me all alone.

I went back to the screens and watched as several more guys arrived, Emmett was issuing orders and I watched as guys ran in and out. Finally I saw Emmett back at my now completely obliterated front door. He drew his gun, as did Quil and several others before they both went into the apartment. I really didn't fancy all those guys tramping through my home, especially if it had been ransacked and my stuff was everywhere, so I got up and went to open the door.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan I'm under strict orders not to let you out of here until Mr Cullen or Emmett say so" the guy looked young and as nervous as hell but he stood his ground and wouldn't let me pass.

"Okay " I smiled and turned back into the room leaving the door open, this was a battle I wasn't going to win.

I watched as Emmett came out of my apartment and tried to pull what was left of the door to, he was coming back downstairs so I made my way back to the doorway.

"Emmett please talk to me, what is happening, is my apartment okay or have I been robbed or what?" "Emmett?" My frustration was starting to get the better of me.

"So we've graduated to deafening my guys now have we ?" The poor guard who I was peering over was shaking his head and pushing his finger in his ear.

"Shut and tell me what is going on please"

He turned me round and took me back into the safe room again before trying to make me sit down on the bed.

"Err not likely, who knows the last time these sheets were changed" We did a quick shuffle round before I sat in the desk chair and he sat on the bed.

"During the night there was a power cut," I nodded, pleased that he was moving straight to the facts, "it was reported and everything was checked. However, it looks like the power cut was some sort of diversion tactic. I'm afraid that someone has broken into your apartment, left us a message and then tampered with the lock. I can only presume that was to make sure you called for help and had an audience when you finally got in."

"What was the message?" Images floated across my brain of things I really didn't want to imagine.

"The word SURPRISE has been spray painted on the entrance wall and I MISSED YOU is on the wall above your bed."

"Is that it," I asked wearily, "or are you being selective with your description of the mess?"

"Let's just say he had a good rummage around," he grimaced, "we estimate he had around four minutes in your apartment. After he spray painted his messages he spent the rest of the time in your bedroom. Your closet and drawers have been uprooted and strewn all over the place. When you are ready I need you to have a look to see if anything is missing."

A shiver ran down my spine. This had to be Mr Jarvis. My stomach turned over and I pushed past Emmett and bolted into the bathroom,

"Hey don't worry Bella," said Emmett, following me in and pulling the hair from my face, "we won't let him get anywhere near you." I continued to retch until my stomach was empty.

I got to my feet unsteadily and walked to the sink; quickly swilling out my mouth with the strong mint mouthwash someone had left there before turning to face him. "How can you say that? That creep was in my bedroom last night." I started to shake slightly, gripping the edge of the basin to keep myself still. Tears started to form and I tried to blink them away.

"Hey we knew where you were last night, we only had minimum cover here last night, one guard in the foyer, it wouldn't have been like that had you been here." He tried to explain as he pulled me in for a tight cuddle.

"Where the fuck is she?" I heard Edward's voice, close by. I wiped the tears that were slowly running down my cheeks and reached into my purse for some breath mints. I caught sight of myself in the mirror above the sink, there was no hiding the aftermath of the retching or the tears at the moment.

"Come on," said Emmett, "he's panicking. Let's put him out of his misery before he explodes and shoots some poor unfortunate sucker who is in the wrong place at the wrong time." A watery smile was my only response.

Emmett drew me in for another cuddle and I just stayed there, wrapped in his arms as I tried to gather myself.

"ISABELLA"

"OH THANK FUCK" the next thing I was being prized away from Emmett, . "I was so worried, are you hurt?"

All the while he was asking Edward was looking at different parts of my body, checking that everything was okay. Finally his hands rested on my cheeks and he looked me directly in the eye.

"Are you alright Isabella?"

Before I could reply his lips crashed into mine and he tried to force his tongue into my mouth. I pushed him away

"Ewww Edward, I'm fine other than I've just thrown my guts up," I took a step back, suddenly painfully aware of how awful I must look. "I need to clean my teeth, then start getting everything straight."

"Well let's get you home and you can clean whatever you need to clean and then we can get you settled in. Do you want Emmett to bring anything from here or do you want him to just throw everything away?"

"What are you talking about Edward?" I know I'd had a bit of a strange morning so far but he had lost me.

"I won't let you live here any longer Isabella, it's not safe, you are moving in with me, we both know it's where you should be."

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Ladyletters I'm sorry I practically rewrote this yet again so everyone please note all mistakes are mine.


	33. Chapter 33

TNMC

No copyright infringement meant I know Ms Meyer owns all things Twilight, I'm just playing with the characters, this story though is mine.

Chapter 33

BPOV

"What do you mean move in with you?" I stood in the foyer, surrounded by several huge men with guns in their hands. A girl could feel a little intimidated but the anger that threatened to bubble over helped me stand my ground. We had to talk about this and it had to be now.

"Isabella," he said, running his hands through his slicked back hair in a gesture that I recognised as exasperation. "It isn't safe here. Whoever is doing this is highly organised. This isn't some lone crank who's obsessed with you, this is a highly organised technically savvy group who are targeting you.

"Group?" I managed to whisper to no one in particular.

My mouth suddenly felt dry and I struggled to swallow. The only face that I had seen was Jarvis, the thought of a group of people pursuing me was not something that I had considered. Edward must have seen the shock and fear on my face as his voice softened.

"I will not take any risks with your life. You are coming to live with me and that is fucking final."

I was torn. As much as the idea of living with him appealed to me, I didn't want it to happen because he was forced into it. I watched the expressions on his face. I could see he was worried about me he was trying to keep his cool in front of me and I appreciated that he hadn't resorted to shouting and swearing too much. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment.

"Edward," his scent, musky but fresh floated into my nostrils, a welcome comfort in the chaotic atmosphere that surrounded me, "I will come and stay with you for a while until you have found this guy or guys but as soon as he is dealt with I'm coming home. Is that understood? I looked his squarely in the eyes but I knew if he looked deep enough he would see through my little show defiance.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," I saw the instant relief on his face as he realised I was doing what he wanted without too much of a battle, "For now though let's get you back to the house." He started to try and walk me out of the foyer towards the car.

"Whoa there lightening," I told him, firmly. "I need to get some stuff." He looked at me, apparently surprised. I ticked my list off on my fingers as I continued. "Clean clothes, work laptop, toiletries, make up…"

"Come on Bella," Emmett said as his eyes flicked between the stairwell and me, "you really don't want to see the place as it is now. Your clothes are everywhere and I really need the guys I've called to see things as they are so that they can try to find some trace of the intruder." "Forensics guys?" I screwed up my nose, confused.

"Something like that," said Edward evasively. Emmett laughed. I decided not to ask.

"I'm a big girl Emmett," I snapped, suddenly a little annoyed at not being told everything and being kept out of my apartment. "I can cope with a bit of mess. Just let me go in and get what I need and then I can ring my Insurance guy and get the claim moving." I tried to step around him to get to the stairwell but he wasn't having any of it.

"Let me get your stuff," Emmett said gently. I glared at him but didn't snap. "Tell me where it is. I suggest you spend an hour or two shopping this afternoon getting some new clothes, we have no idea if he has done anything to them." His eyebrows rose up his forehead as he tried to make me think about what he was saying.

"Yuck you don't think he..." I couldn't bring myself to think of him standing over my lingerie and masturbating. "You said he was only in there for a few minutes," I said. "He wouldn't have had time to knock one out, surely?" I could see the shoulders of some of the guys moving as they tried not to laugh at my statement.

"Bella we don't know yet what he has done. That's the point. Please go with Edward and I will gather as much stuff as I can for you." Emmett was doing a decent attempt at keeping his face straight. I could see he was trying to be serious.

"Fine," I grumbled, "but I have a viewing in an hour so if you fetch me my work purse and my laptop bag I'll nip to the Mall now and grab some clean clothes and make up. I can get ready at the Mall and go and meet my client as normal." I thought that was a fair compromise, I could take Quil with me.

"Not a fucking chance," growled Edward. "You are not meeting any clients today or any other day until we have sorted this shit out once and for all." The shouting had restarted as Edward went back into boss mode.

"If you think I'm letting my business go after I've worked so hard to build it up you can think again Cullen," I yelled back at him. He stopped in his tracks, perhaps surprised that somebody had spoken back to him. The armed guys looked off into the air, pretending they hadn't noticed.

"I'd like to see you or that fucker Jarvis attempt to stop me. Now I'm going to take Quil and I'm going to do some shopping. Both of us will check in with you regularly and I'm sure by now you have me tagged or some shit like that," he winced at my profanity, "so you will know where we are anyway."

I turned and glared at Emmett. "Don't just stand there! Get yourself upstairs and fetch my stuff. It should be on the counter in the kitchen area." I was beyond pissed now. My life was changing and I didn't seem to have any control at the moment.

Emmett looked at Edward for permission and I watched the silent exchange between them Edward was clearly torn. He wanted me safe but he wanted me happy as well. He gave a slight nod and Emmett smiled, nodded in return then turned and disappeared upstairs. I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding and turned to Edward. I didn't care we were surrounded by his men I was just so relieved he wasn't going to fight me.

"Just for that," I pulled him towards me and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to let you spank me tonight anyway. I placed my hands on his cheeks and kissed the hell out of him. He took a few seconds to respond, I don't know whether it was shock of what I'd said or the fact we were surrounded but he was very reserved. I pulled back and looked in his eyes, the lust was unmistakable but he was clearly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry." I whispered as I stepped back and let my hands rest on his chest.

"It's okay just not in front of my men." The Boss was back.

I stood awkwardly as he turned away from me and started barking orders at several different guys. One went to secure my apartment and stay on guard when Emmett was finished. Another went to check out the CCTV in the street and see if any was available for Alex to tap into. Someone who materialised in the hallway as if from nowhere was told to go up and start collecting forensics and to make sure they were delivered to the right guy at the police labs. Finally someone was instructed to organise a cleaning crew to go in and make sure I would never be able to tell my stuff had ever been touched.

The last statement was a surprise. If the apartment was to be made spotless then he was planning on letting me come home after all. I shook my head to clear the thoughts. I was the one who had argued against moving in with him only twenty minutes ago. Before I could let the idea settle and start to affect me Emmett came down with several bags.

"Here is your purse, your laptop and some stuff that I'm sure hasn't been touched."I put my purse and laptop by the door and looked in the bags Emmett had filled. I dreaded to think where he had found them. One was a cloth cover bag for the one expensive purse I owned, another was my gym bag, which by the smell still had my dirty gym kit in the bottom and one was an old suitcase I kept in the back of my closet. The first bag had toiletries, make up, hair products and tampons in. I looked up and smiled at him, he'd done well.

"I'm pretty sure he never went in the bathroom, nothing had been touched" he explained as I realised he had emptied my cabinet and unit into the bag. I looked in the second bag and had to smile, he had collected all my lingerie that was drying over the tub. I'd hand washed my delicates a day or so before and luckily there were a few bras, some panties and my new piece that Edward never got to see.

"Well done Em that will tide me over for a few days until I can organise some shopping."

The final bag had a couple of jackets, my snugly cardigan and several pairs of shoes. These had all been in the entrance area by the front door and Emmett must have presumed the intruder had gone straight past them. All I needed to pick up from the Mall was a second work outfit, a pair of jeans and a few tops I could mix and match.

"Are we ready to go?" I picked up the bags and looked at Quil. He looked at Edward for permission to leave and once again I saw the slight nod.

"Stay close to her," he said. If anything his quiet voice was more menacing than his shouting voice, "if anything happens to her it's on you. You understand what that means."

His voice was almost unrecognisable, it was low and sent shivers up and down my spine, but not in a good way. The Edward who had been in bed with me not a few hours before had disappeared and Green Eyes was very much back.

EPOV

What a fucking balls up. She has stayed with me for one night, one fucking night and the elusive fucker Jarvis managed to get into her apartment. Part of me wants to thank whoever is behind this, she is going to be moving in with me a lot sooner than I ever thought possible. If she thinks she is ever moving out again…I stood watching her and Quil make their way to his Range Rover, Quil now laden down with all her bags. I finally let a smile escape. She is going to be in my bed tonight and every night for the foreseeable future. I wipe the smile from my face and move back to business. I just want to set the wheels in motion and leave. This place suddenly feels a lot less important now that Isabella isn't here.

I checked everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing and checked with Alex that he was on top of everything.

"By the time you get back to the control room at the club I'll have scanned all the CCTV," he told me, "we will have the bits you need to see ready." He was already busy banging away on the poor keyboard.

"Who won the bet by the way?" I looked at Emmett for the answer.

"Neither of us," he grinned. "Alex still hasn't managed to get in, it seems he's losing his touch." Emmett laughed as Alex flipped him the finger.

"Do you need extra resources? I want this bastard found and quickly." I was past caring about their individual prides, I needed to know who and where Jarvis was.

"No Boss I'm nearly there, "said Alex, not looking up, "it's as though they were expecting me so I've had to find a different route in. I'm already inside the firewall, I just need to find a way into the facial recognition system without throwing up too many red flags. I'll have an idea if he is in the system before the end of the day."

It was probably the most I'd ever heard Alex say directly to me. His quiet confidence calmed my anger slightly. I couldn't help but sigh, if he was in the system and the address was up to date, he could be dead by this evening. Isabella and I could relax and start to really get to know each other without any outside interferences. I looked at Emmett and he nodded again, letting me know that everything was under control. With a sigh I called Seth and got him to bring the car back around front.

"Looks like you have a visitor Boss," Seth said as we pulled into my space in the underground parking garage at the club. I immediately recognised the silver BMW X5 and the harassed looking driver waiting with it.

"Just what I fucking need," I grumbled to myself, "what the hell does she want? She never comes to the club."

"I suppose after the restaurant yesterday she was bound to appear." My first reaction was to tell him to keep his opinion to himself but I swallowed the urge to yell at him back down. Instead I got out of the car and made my way directly to the nerd centre to find out what Paul had got from the CCTV.

"Boss," he said, excitedly, not even bothering to greet me as I came into the room. "I've managed to find out what happened." I nodded for him to go on. "Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They caused a power surge in the system. While it was down they took over the system and inserted some footage of their own, basically the empty corridor playing on loop. While everyone relaxed thinking the system was back on, the intruder was able to get into the apartment unnoticed. The strange thing is I can find the where they inserted their footage but I can't find where they took it out again." He was busy typing away and I watched the screens as lines and lines of letters and numbers scrolled up and down in front of us.

"What the fuck does that mean?" I knew deep down I knew.

"It means they could still be in the system," a cold shiver ran down my back, "I'm trying to find out if they are still in there and watching what happens remotely."

"Shut the fucking system down totally, now do it now," I told him. "If there is the slightest chance they are watching close it down now." I watched as he hit random buttons and the screens started to go black one by one in front of us.

"Paul?"Seth's tone caught me off guard, I had forgotten he was still trailing me. "We could have another problem. If they were watching remotely could they have been listening in as well" Seth looked at Paul.

"It is possible," Paul nodded slowly, "they could have been listening."

"They could know all of Bella's plans for the day," said Seth, stating the obvious again.

"Get Quil on the phone now and get her home," I barked. "I don't fucking care if he has to throw her over his shoulder and carry her, she needs to be off the streets now." Before I could even finish my instructions Seth was on the phone talking to Quil. He put him on speakerphone and we listened as he tried to tell Isabella she needed to go and go now.

I listened as they argued back and forth until I reached over and picked up the phone. "Isabella, you are in danger. We think they were listening to us at your apartment this morning so they know where you are." I silently pleaded with the phone line for her to understand. "I will not risk your safety get your ass to the car now." I used the voice, the one she knew meant business, not that it seemed to have any effect on her.

There was silence for a few seconds and I was just about to tell Quil to pick her up when I heard her sigh.

"Okay I'll go. What time will you be home?"

"I have a few things to deal with, I promise I will be home as soon as I can."

"Okay I'll see you soon."

With that the line was cut off. I handed the phone back to Seth and turned to Paul. "Sort this shit out. I want a full report on this fuck up and I mean everything, do not miss even the smallest detail." Paul nodded and turned back to his keyboard.

"Don't forget your mother is here Boss," said Seth, apologetically.

As if I could forget.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thank you so much for all your good wishes, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Year.

Thank you to the wonderful Ladyletters for sorting this out for me as ever.


	34. Chapter 34

TNMC

I know Ms Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Chapter 34

BPOV

This day just seemed to be going from bad to worse. When I woke up this morning I was on cloud nine, I was relaxed and a little sore but happy and incredibly sexually satisfied. Now I'm technically homeless. One more phone call has sent everyone into another stratosphere of panic. So here I am standing in the foyer of Edward's house again.

"I'll take your bags upstairs Bella," Quil said, sweeping them easily into his arms and strolling past me upstairs.

I idly looked around, wondering what to do. I didn't know where to put my things, I just stood looking at the decoration, the architecture and everything around me that I hadn't really taken any notice of before because Edward filled the space with his very presence. It didn't take me long to realise the place was sterile, very much style over comfort. It didn't look like a home; it looked like an Interior Designers show piece or the entrance to a museum or gallery. I wandered around and poked my head into what I figured what was the main room. It was cold, in colour scheme if not temperature with no comfort or personal touches, just a few artfully placed pieces of furniture. I was trying to decide if there was some sort of minimalist versus antique vibe going on when Quil walked up behind me.

"The bitch took most of the good stuff when she left," I was momentarily surprised by the vitriol in his voice, "I think these were just the pieces she couldn't actually get in the moving truck."

"Quil," I berated him automatically. I usually hate man talking about other women that way, "that's no way to talk about Edward's ex wife."

"Oh believe me," he said, picking up an ugly but expensive looking vase and rolling it in his hand with a slight sneer on his face, "she deserves being called far worse." He put the vase down, carefully then lowered his voice. "The things she did?" He shook his head. "Let's just say that in my eyes she got off really lightly."

"She did did she, do tell?" I was intrigued.

"Not for me to say Bella," he had closed up again, back into corporate mode, but it seems that he couldn't resist an aside. "Laurent got what he deserved, he knew what was going on." I didn't know who Laurent was but I was scared to ask, in case he stopped confiding in me. "He was her protection detail and he never told the boss and her, well she should have suffered the same fate in my eyes but the boss upheld the laws, she was his wife after all."

Without another word he turned and disappeared back out of the front door. I heard the car start. I wasn't sure what to think about his comments. What had Tanya done and what had Laurent got that he deserved? The rational part of my brain thought that he would have been dismissed, however I had seen enough of Edward and his armed guards and access to resources to suspect that his fate could have been much worse. This reality made me feel uncomfortable. I made a mental note to ask Emmett about Laurent. Quil reappeared, disconcertingly silent... "Bella," he said, pointing to a small CCTV camera shaped like a goldfish bowl set into the top corner of the room. "The security system is on, there are two guards in the control room watching the house and grounds and two more patrolling the grounds. I will be in the kitchen so if you need anyone just press the intercom and someone will answer you." He pointed to a panel on the wall, it was nondescript, just a button and what looked like a small speaker.

"You know that the cameras cover everywhere except the boss's suite of rooms and his office so can you please keep out of them just for today so we can keep an eye of you."

Before I could start to argue he cut me off.

"Before you get argumentative that probably didn't come out right," he smiled, a glimpse of humour and warmth reminding me again that he was a human and not some uniformed automaton. "What I meant was we need to keep eyes on you today just so we know you are safe."

"Okay," I nodded and smiled reassuringly, trying to keep in mind that he had been kidnapped trying to keep an eye on me, "I understand."It would be easier to be helpful today. I could see that, everyone was on high alert and they wouldn't be doing that if they weren't concerned.

"Go make yourself comfortable in the Den," Quil offered as he pointed the way, "it's the only place in this mausoleum that is actually homely."

"I really need to get changed so I'm going to go and see what is in Edward's closet, I'll be back down shortly." I said looking down at yesterday's pants and shirt.

Quil nodded and watched as I walked up the stairs. I punched the six digit code into the keypad and made my way back into the rooms I'd left just a few hours before. This time I took the time to actually have a good look at my surroundings. This room was decorated differently to the rest of the house. It was masculine, dark blues, greys and cream but it had a personality. The bedroom set was dark honey wood and It was almost warm to the touch as I gently stroked my fingertips over the grain. There were no photographs or pictures on the wall but the room felt lived in and I had a sense that Edward only really used this room, his office and maybe the den.

A quick check in his immense walk in closet revealed several rows of three piece suits and for every suit there was a dress shirt. The conservative shirts were either white, pale blue or black. This guy really needed some colour in his life. I opened the dresser draws and found pyjama pants, underwear, socks and undershirts. Across the other side were a few t-shirts, sweaters and incredibly two pairs of 501's. I couldn't help but grin to myself, imagining Edward in the classic jeans. I grabbed a pair of pyjama bottoms that didn't look like they had ever been worn and a t-shirt and pair of socks on the basis that if I was going to be indoors today I was going to be comfortable.

I changed quickly and went back down stairs with my laptop to do some online shopping. After getting the full address from Quil I ordered a couple of pairs of pants, some shirts and then some jeans, leggings and sweaters. I had the bits Emmett had picked up so I could cope for a few days.

As I settled down in the den I opened my work email and started to cancel appointments. The showings could be rearranged for another day and I was secretly glad that I wouldn't be showing the penthouse. Just as I was finishing up a new email popped up. I opened it and scanned it quickly. My stomach lurched. I had received a very generous offer on the penthouse. The buyer was a corporation I'd never heard of and all I could do was stare at the figure they were offering. It was above the market value but below our asking price, pretty much exactly what the vendor was hoping for. For a split second I did wonder about deleting the email and pretending I hadn't seen it but I knew I couldn't do that. So with a very heavy heart I forwarded the email onto the company that owned the property and with a recommendation that they accept the offer. This day just seemed to get worse. All I needed now was for the former Mrs Cullen to show up and ask what the fuck I was doing in her home.

EPOV

I had to give my mother her due, she was a lot calmer than I imagined. My staff had finally got the message that no one went in my office if I wasn't here and she was waiting impatiently, sat at the bar in the empty club.

"Mother good morning," I greeted her cordially, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the crap Edward," she spat, "you know why I'm here. Now can we go somewhere more comfortable to talk?" She waved her hands dismissively at the empty bar. Clearly she had taken being sat there as a personal slight.

"I have a busy day today I'm afraid." I looked deliberately at my watch. "If I'm not mistaken I said all that I needed to say on the phone the last time we spoke." I kept my face poker straight, no matter what she threw at me she wasn't getting anywhere near Isabella.

"You are not the only one busy Edward. I'm busy too so let's cut the shit and get down to what we need to talk about." She sat on the bar stool, trying desperately to appear calm and collected but I knew she was extremely uncomfortable. Suddenly I realised that it was more than just the fact that her small frame meant her feet barely touched the foot rest on the high stool. No, she hated being here because she knew Liz came here with my father and frankly she considered the place beneath her. For a moment I felt a pang of sympathy for her.

Her face was scrunched up like she was trying to ascertain what the bad smell was and she was perched on the edge of the stool making the minimum amount of contact possible with the red leather. "What do you want Mother?" I slipped onto the bar stool beside her and swivelled it to face her. I might have softened to her a little but there was no way I was going to invite her into my inner sanctuary again.

"I need to know what is going on with you," she said, matching my softened tone with a gentler tone herself. What she didn't realise is that this change of tack put my even more on edge. "You have two very different but equally time consuming multi million pound empires to run and yet here you are running around town with some waitress you've picked up god knows where." She paused for a moment as one of my office staff brought us each a coffee. It was early so none of the catering staff had arrived yet. I noticed that the girl's hand shook a little and she scurried off immediately. "How am I supposed to explain to our friends why you are being seen out with her? You haven't even announced your divorce yet."

She looked down at the coffee cup, a plain white mug. I could see she desperately wanted a drink but her distaste for the vessel it was served in was getting the better of her.

"I'm sorry Mother we do not have English Bone China here, it's not very durable." She ignored my sarcasm and pushed the cup away.

"So this is about what it looks like to your so called friends and cronies?" I picked up the mug and took a large sip of the black liquid. In truth it was still a little hot however I wanted to make a point. "It has nothing to do with you being concerned for me. You haven't once asked how I feel."

"Feel Edward, Feel?" Her control was starting to slip again. "I don't give a fuck how you feel but you have an image to keep up, a persona to portray. Being pathetic and emotional in public really does not help matters. How will you deal with the other business if they see you as a weak man?" The sad thing was in all this she really believed what she was saying, she saw me being happy and in love as a weakness.

"My feelings for Isabella have nothing to do with business, either of them," I took another sip of the coffee, trying hard to maintain control, "anyone who deals with me will soon know that, you though? I expect you to support my decision and accept Isabella into the family." I could have sugar coated things for her but she might as well realise just how important Isabella is to me.

"Accept her? Why the hell do I need to accept her?" She smiled, a slight twist of her face occurring and I wondered if her surgeon had made a slip up or if she'd had so much work done she was stuck with it ." I'm presuming by the time I get round to having the time to meet her you will have already tired of her and either sorted out the disaster that is your marriage or you will have realised I know best and settled down with one of the young ladies I have lined up for you."

"Mother I am going to say this once and once only," I hoped that she could see my knuckles tightening along with my grip on the mug. "My marriage is over and if I ever see Tanya again she will be lucky to come away with her life. Our laws may state we do not harm women but for her I will make an exception. As for Isabella I have already told you, she is my life. As soon as I can get her to agree she will be my wife and will take her place at my side as the head of the family."

"I'm the real head of this family," she said through gritted teeth. "You have only just met this whore, how could you possibly even think like that?" With that she rose off the stool pushing it back, the screech echoed all round the empty bar. She paused, presumably for dramatic effect. "Does she know Edward?" She said bitterly. "Does she know what you are and what you've done? You need somebody who knows this life or is at least used to being in the public eye. An ordinary girl," I grimaced at the emphasis that the put on the word ordinary, "will just be torn up by this lifestyle. Do the poor girl a favour and set her free now before you ruin her."

I made my way back to my office after checking she had left the building. I would never admit it but her words had rattled me. I had been prepared for her opposition to any woman who she hadn't handpicked herself but her suggestion that Isabella might be better off without me had hit close to home. Was it selfish of me to want her? Was it selfish of me, the legal position aside, to wait until our wedding night to tell her what she had really married into? I pushed the thought to the back of my mind. She was a clever woman, she probably had a good idea having seen the house, the club, even the cars, what sort of business I was involved in and it hadn't put her off yet. I knew that our connection was real and that my business wouldn't change that. I stopped by the security office and asked Paul to activate the tracker on my Mother's vehicle and told him to keep an eye on where she was and who she was meeting. I had a niggling feeling in the pit of my stomach and in both my worlds I'd learned to trust my own instincts.

"Dad," I told his answering machine when he didn't pick on my second attempt. "Call me back urgently, I just had a visit from my mother and I really need to talk to you". I was conscious of the message I wanted to leave but decided not to, you never know who is listening.

I paced for a while trying to calm myself. Mother always had this affect on me. I didn't want to react in haste. I really wanted to speak to Isabella but I wasn't sure what reception I would get as I had basically banished her to the suburbs for the day. The only other person who would understand was my father. I looked at the time wondering where he was, he should be with Liz, safely ensconced with someone who genuinely loved him for himself. He answered the phone on the third ring and I could hear Liz talking to him as he answered.

"Edward, my boy, sorry I was a little busy before but I'm all done now." I could feel his happiness through the phone, and hear Liz's distinctive laugh as she heard his opening statement to me. He was relaxed and comfortable and I wondered why I hadn't ever realised just how different he was when he was in my mother's company. I quickly explained about the morning's visit and what I needed.

"Son," he replied, with a weary laugh, "she doesn't listen to me you know that, but I will try, if she doesn't listen and this gets out of hand we will deal with her."I didn't ask how we would be dealing with her, that was something for the future but I trusted my father implicitly.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by. Alex finally got into the FBI facial recognition system but it came back with no hits, absolutely nothing. This sent Alex into a mini melt down, he was concerned about this, sure there should have been something, anything, even a near miss. He explained that every face has some areas in common with other faces and the database was programmed to search for specific points, if it registered so many a hit was activated on those several features. The fact that nothing was flagged made him think that they had programmed a certain outcome for this specific search. He was concerned they were a step ahead of us and not only aware he was trying to hack in but aware of what he was going to do when he got in. If that was true we had a much bigger problem on our hands that some lone psycho stalker with a fixation on Isabella, we had an FBI investigation. What I didn't understand was why they were targeting her. As my mind wandered I started to have dark thoughts. What if Isabella was some kind of plant? Could she be an undercover cop sent to infiltrate my life and business? Was she some sort of honey trap? My fucking mother had to just play with my mind today, it was as though she knew what we were going through.

My mind whirled at a thousand miles an hour so I picked up the phone and summoned Emmett and Whitlock to my office. They were both sat in front of me in less than twenty minutes. I quickly explained to Whitlock all about the FBI files at which point he started singing loudly and shaking his head. "I don't need to hear this," he said, when I explained about hacking the database, a look somewhere between exasperation and amusement on his face. "I really don't want to know,"

"For fuck's sake Whitlock you are supposed to be my right hand man," I snapped, "either man the fuck up and get use to hearing things you have to forget or go back to your safe little office in the suburbs and die of fucking boredom or my sister talking you to death "

He looked at me apologetically before reaching into his ever present battered case.

"Edward," he said, reassuringly. "I have gone over and over the files on Isabella, I even had two separate contacts check her out to make sure the information was sound and she checked out completely. I also extended the search to her father, her mother and her mother's new husband. They really are an all American family. Dad is Chief of Police in a town smaller than my neighbourhood. Her mum is living across the country with her new husband; they keep in touch by phone once a week. She has no other living relatives, both her parent are only children as she is."

The relief was instant. I knew deep down that these fears were irrational but I just needed to hear it confirmed. I looked at my watch it was already early evening, the day had flown by, I smiled as I realised it was time to go home and make sure my Isabella had settled in.


	35. Chapter 35

TNMC

Chapter 35

EPOV

"Fuck Cullen," I told myself quietly as I almost ran to the door, "you are becoming such a pussy." The security team weren't supposed to have the sound on when I was in the house but I still looked guiltily around. I didn't want any of those guys to know that this was the first time for a long while that I was actually excited about getting home.

I walked through the door and the first thing that hit me was an incredible smell. The foyer had several bunches of flowers in vases and large candles in glass jars burning away. The aroma was intoxicating, sweet vanilla dominating the heady mix. It stirred a long forgotten memory of being home with my mother, watching through the glass door of the oven as our vanilla cupcakes rose. The thought almost soured my homecoming I was still so annoyed with her so I pushed the thought of her out of my mind. As I took a steadying deep breath I felt the scent imprinting on my senses. It would now be forever linked to Isabella. I walked through the house towards the den and the sight that met me shook me to the core. Isabella was asleep on the sofa, curled up with a blanket over her. The TV was playing a DVD that had reached the end but hadn't been switched off. Somehow she was sleeping though the constant replay of the soft piano refrain that marked the menu. I walked into the room and perched softly on the edge of the seat cushion. She looked so peaceful. I couldn't help but run my fingers along her cheek and around her ear lobe.

"Mmmm Edward," the sleepy smile on her face as she realised it was me almost broke me. I could feel my heart and other parts of me swelling.

"Wake up sleepyhead," I said as I bent over and lightly nipped her ear lobe, "I'm home." For the first time I realised what home meant. Not the cream carpets and the shiny appliances but the sudden desire to shut out the rest of the world and keep this perfect reality unchanged forever, an idyllic scene caught in my own personal snow globe.

She stretched and uncurled and I got a good look at what she was wearing. This woman really did things to me I'd never experienced before. Just seeing her in a pair of my pyjama pants and a T shirt tugged hard at my heart. I needed to really tell her just how much I loved her. I had already come to terms with it, I knew I was going to love her the first day I met her but now I was all in.

"What time is it?" She asked as she finally pulled herself up to a sitting position.

"Just after six." I tried to avert my gaze from the fact she wasn't wearing a bra. All I could think though was that her nipples were rubbing against the inside of one of my t-shirts. While part of me never wanted her to take it off, the rest of me wanted to wear it myself so I could be close to those nipples.

"You're earlier than I expected," she said, apologetically, trying to smooth her tangled hair absent mindedly with one hand. "I had a grocery delivery this afternoon so I could cook dinner but I must have dozed off."

"Ahh that explains where the flowers and the candles came from." I moved her around so we were side by side on the sofa.

"Edward, can I ask you something?" The look on her face didn't give anything away so I had no idea what to expect. I nodded.

"When was the last time that Kitchen was used?" I raised an eyebrow, of all the questions that I was bracing myself for, this was not what I had expected. "I mean," she continued, "When I looked in the larder it was empty. The pots and pans look brand new, like they've never been used." She really was concerned about the state of my kitchen? Apart from coffee every now again I wasn't sure I'd even spent any time in there.

"I think most of the stuff in there was probably wedding gifts, so they could be up to seven or eight years old." Her eyes widened, as if she couldn't comprehend what I was saying. "Of course, Tanya did like to spend money so they could all be antiques or even brand new." I shrugged. "I really have no idea."

"I ordered what I needed to get me by today but we need to go do a big shop to stock up. If I'm going to be here for awhile I need ingredients to work with."

It was impossible to hide the smile on my face as she talked about staying, now I had her here she wasn't going anywhere if I could help it.

"You can wipe that smirk off your face Cullen," she said, swatting me playfully with a cushion. "I'm only here temporarily. "

"We'll see woman, we'll see," I pulled her close and planted a kiss on her lips. "Now feed me! I'm starving." I loved how free and easy it was being with her, it felt natural.

"Well lucky for you," she said, wriggling out of my arms, "while dinner may not be ready it is prepared I just need to put it in the oven."

Forty five minutes later we sat down to a veritable feast. She had prepared steaks marinated in an incredible sauce, veg, potatoes, a side salad, homemade bread and the lightest, freshest fruit cheesecake. If she was going to feed me like this I was definitely going to make an effort to get home early every night.

"I hope this is okay," she said, casting a critical eye on the casually laid table, "I know you're used to restaurant quality food."

The fact I couldn't answer straight away because I had so much food in my mouth should have given her a clue but I was on a mission to keep her happy.

"You have no idea how much of a treat it is to have some home cooked food in my own home." I put down my fork for a moment, looking into her eyes. "The last few times I've sat at this table have been catered because Tanya refused to cook. Thinking about it other than coffee and the occasional breakfast in the early days, she never cooked for me, if we had guests she always had it catered and we had staff in to clear up."

Isabella looked uncomfortable talking about my ex wife. She really shouldn't because that part of my life was over. I decided to change the subject. The lack of information about Jarvis was playing on my mind and I didn't want to keep secrets from her. "Isabella," I began, "I want you to know what we are doing in the search for Jarvis but there are certain things I can't tell you for your own safety as well as my freedom. Do you understand?"

She nodded and thankfully accepted my explanation. This woman never stopped amazing me, she took what I said and trusted I was telling her the truth, no one in my business or personal life did that and it made a refreshing change.

"We ran the photos of Jarvis through the FBI database and they came up with nothing. In some ways that is a good thing as he's not a known face but on the other hand it makes our job a little harder as we still have no idea who he is or where he is." I reached across and took her hand in mine, "but we will find him, I promise you that." It was supposed to be a comforting gesture but all it did was ignite my need for her.

"What would you like to do tonight Isabella," I smiled, trying to move past the subject of Jarvis. "I'd rather we stayed out of the really crowded clubs but I'm sure we can find somewhere if you want to go dancing?"

"I think that I'll clean up in here then we can just snuggle up in front of a DVD. I really can't face the chaos it will cause for us to go anywhere." She rose from the table and started to move the crockery to the sink. I was sure we at least had a dishwasher in the kitchen somewhere. I was going to employ a housekeeper tomorrow, Isabella didn't really need to spend her time cleaning.

"Whatever you want Isabella, I'm just going to go and have a quick shower and change then."

"If you are going to get changed," a half smile played across her lips, "can I ask whether you own a pair of jeans or maybe some sweat pants? Anything other than your formal dress pants?" The smirk on her face gave away the fact she had obviously had a good root around in my closet. If she wanted casual, I could do casual.

My bedroom looked different, I couldn't see any major or even minor changes but the atmosphere was definitely different. I walked into my closet and stripped off my vest, pants and shirt quickly followed by my underwear. My bathroom was accessible from the closet so I walked in and turned the water on in the shower. When I designed the bathroom, I made it huge. The shower was walk through and had a large tiled bench running along the wall. I had looked forward to christening the shower but Tanya and I quickly realised we had very different ideas on what our marriage was about. We had sex several times in the first few weeks. Tanya wanted the missionary position and it over and done with as quickly as possible. I on the other hand had wanted it hard, rough and repeatedly. It was almost a relief that the videotapes of her and James at least showed she had been having a decent sex life with him. I may have been deprived but I intended to catch up quickly if Isabella was up for it.

My head was bent forward and the hot water ran down my neck and spilled over my back and shoulders. The intensity of the water pressure made it feel like every individual jet of water was massaging my skin. I could feel both the relief of knowing Isabella was safe and here mixing with the excitement of knowing she was going to be in my bed for the foreseeable future. The adrenalin from the day was finally receding and I really needed something to just let me relax for the rest of the night. Normally I would have had no qualms of just using the shower gel to lubricate my palm and I would have thought about undressing Miss Swan, that fucking awful blue suit she wears. I had it down to a fine art, I would come just as I ripped her skirt off, bent her over and pushed my dick into her.

Tonight though it seemed disrespectful, I didn't want to masturbate while she was in my home. I reached behind me for my body wash but before I could find it a hand shot out and passed it to me.

"Want some company in here? This shower is so big I'd hate for you to get lost."

I turned round to be met with the most incredible sight. Isabella was stood leaning against the shower wall completely naked. Her arms were crossed in front of her boobs as she casually waited for me to answer. For once though words just wouldn't come, I stood looking at her with my mouth open and my dick at full mast quite unable to breathe.

"Really Mr Cullen? Nothing to say, how very unlike you," her smirk was playful and it enabled me to focus and finally take a breath. I reached for her and she walked straight into my open arms. I pulled her close, my dick pressed firmly against her stomach as I made sure even the water couldn't get between us.

"Fucking hell Isabella, what are you trying to do to me?" I didn't know what to do first, I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to taste her, I wanted to fuck her repeatedly and I really, really wanted to spank her.

"I'm trying to get you laid Mr Cullen, what do you think I'm trying to do here?"

"Well who am I to argue with you, by all means please do you worst." All the while we were talking I was touching her, her arms, her back, her face. I just couldn't stop touching her. My poor dick was in agony as it tried to get some attention but was crushed between us. I wanted this to be on her terms. I had completely taken over last night and she had let me do whatever I pleased. "Why suddenly so reserved Mr Cullen?" She stroked her hand down my face. "If I remember correctly last night you didn't have any problem taking what you wanted."

"I don't want to come across as too controlling Isabella I'm aware not everyone has the same tastes as I do when it comes to sex." I desperately wanted to push her against the shower wall and sink into her repeatedly.

"Edward just let go please and do what you want, believe me I will stop you if I'm uncomfortable with anything." I didn't need telling twice, before she had even checked I'd heard her I lifted her and wrapped her legs around my waist. My hands grabbed her ass cheeks and I raised her slightly so my dick was freed and as soon as I had her lined up I let her slide down, impaling her on my now throbbing length.

I paused briefly to check she was okay before walking her towards the shower wall. As soon as she was pressed against the cold Italian marble I unleashed my hips. I drove in and out of her without any thought for the consequences, my thighs burned and the bottom of my back felt like someone was sticking knives in it but I was lost, lost in the incredible sensation of being buried inside my Isabella.

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Thank you to Ladyletters for letting me find my own way with this chapter, she has completely captured what I wanted.

Authors Note.

I don't usually do this but I need to address some points made in the guest reviews.

I am getting some stick about Edward being too soft to be a mob boss. I never meant for this story to be about the mob boss, it was always about Edward the man, he is in love for the first time in his life and completely out of his comfort zone, on top of that his mother, the one permanent woman in his life is driving him mental. He has been raised to respect and not question his mother, and to try and keep calm while she seems to be causing havoc is really hard for him. It is becoming increasingly obvious he is going to have to deal with her and the thought of doing that is unsettling for him.

I also made a mistake in the last chapter when I was talking about Bella's mum, if you picked up my mistake I apologise and I've put it right now, if you didn't don't worry about it. Thank you to the reviewer who pointed that out to me I'm very grateful.


	36. Chapter 36

TNMC

I know I don't own twilight or any of the characters. I do own the plot though.

Chapter 36

BPOV

I had been staying at Edward's for the past six weeks and time had flown. We had settled into a surprisingly nice daily routine centred on fun, food and lots and lots of fucking (his words not mine) who knew my big bad green eyed mob boss could laugh so much. The only dark cloud on the horizon was Jarvis. Every lead they followed seemed to send them down a dead end. It was becoming increasingly obvious that someone was seriously playing with me. Although all of the focus had been on me the more I learned about Edward the more I thought that it had to be linked to his business. Trouble was neither of us were really sure who the actual victim was supposed to be. I was convinced no one could actually gain anything by stalking me but Edward was convinced that Jarvis was infatuated with me. I pointed out on more than one occasion that he was a big bad mob boss and maybe someone was trying to get to him through me. Those conversations though usually ended up in some form of sex. It became Edward's guaranteed way of shutting me up every time I dared to mention the 'M' word (Mafia/Mob, take you pick). He also took great pleasure in reminding me that all I had to do was marry him and we could talk about his other business all night long. I quickly cottoned on that the quickest way to get some hot sexy action in the afternoon was to try and talk about his other business.

Mr Jarvis was always one step ahead. No matter what Paul and Alex tried they couldn't find any trace of him. If I hadn't have spoken to the man myself I would have doubted if he actually existed. This was making Edward grumpier than ever and both Seth and Emmett were taking the brunt of his anger. I played mediator more than once, saving both of them from getting shot on several occasions.

In the evenings Edward was a different person. Once he was home with me and the security system was on he relaxed and I saw the side of him that no one else saw. He was loving and playful and as he relaxed and trusted me more he really opened up. Our sex life was incredible. Edward loved to be in control and I was happy for him to take charge. Don't get me wrong there was no master and slave or dom and sub, he just liked to take control. I'd finally managed to wear my very expensive, never before seen lingerie which had resulted in me being well and truly spanked. I can't say I'd ever experienced it before but we would definitely be doing it again. As the days passed we established a routine of breakfast together then during the day I would go out with Quil and whoever else was about so that I could continue running my business. Everyone was trying desperately to keep me safe and try to appear as if nothing wrong at the same time. If it wasn't serious it would be quite comical to see Quil checking the ladies loo in restaurants and bars before he would let me go in. I learnt my lesson quickly and tried never to use public restrooms !

Edward always made it home by seven so we could have dinner together. After dinner we would retire to the Den or the bedroom. If we were in the Den we kept things clean, aware we were being watched, but once we hit the bedroom things would inevitably get hot and heavy.

Today was not a good day. I'd burnt the breakfast because Edward decided he could nibble on my neck while I was waiting for the bacon. Then when I checked my emails the one I'd been dreading was waiting for me. The owners of the penthouse had accepted the offer. Even though I had recommended they did there was still a part of me that hoped they would change their mind. The buyer had the cash and the sale was due to complete today. I needed to go over and make sure everything was ready and leave the keys with Alfie.

As Quil and I made our way across town I was in a weird mood. Something was off and I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. We stopped to pick up coffee and pastries. I wanted to say thank you because Alfie had become a friend with all the times I'd been in there.

"Hi Bella, big day today isn't it?" Alfie asked as I walked into the foyer.

"It certainly is," I smiled at him, handing over the coffee and pastries. "Just a little thank you Alfie, you have been such a help these last few months, remember me if anyone else tells you they are moving."

"And from my favourite bakery," he said, peeking into the paper bag and smiling at the Danish pastries nestled in the bottom.

"Unfortunately this is my last visit," I told him, waving the keys at him. "I just need to make sure that everything is okay up there and then I can hand these over. The new owner will be over this afternoon to pick them up. I'll call you if anything happens or it falls through."

"No worries Bella," he took a big bite of a pastry, little flakes falling from his mouth in his eagerness, "I've done this enough times before, no keys until I hear everything has completed."

Quil and I made our way upstairs to the penthouse. I didn't take me long to check everything and to say a silent goodbye to the place. I couldn't resist a quick visit to the closet in the main bedroom. I had to suppress a smile as I remembered meeting Green Eyes that day. Even the indignance I still felt at being manhandled and locked in a cupboard didn't take away from my first memory of that green eyed foul mouthed man. Who would have thought all these months later I was madly in love and living with the man. A knock on the penthouse door brought me back from my daydream. In the hallway Quil was already looking through the peephole in the door. My phone started to ring. With Quil on the door I chose to address the phone.

"Hi Alfie," I was surprised to see his name on the screen, "what's wrong?"

"There are some men on the way up to see you," he said breathlessly.

I quickly looked at Quil and he was busy talking on his phone. I could tell from his demeanour he wasn't happy, he kept looking through the spy hole and then talking quietly into his cell.

"Miss Swan," the shout was accompanied by an urgent rapping on the door. "FBI Miss Open the door immediately." "Fuck," said Quil, as he peered through the spyhole. He nodded, letting me know he was going to open the door.

"Stand back and stay behind me." The sight that met us as the door opened could have been quite frightening to someone who wasn't used to uniforms, but I'd grown up around policemen and the police station. Three pain clothes detectives with FBI jackets and baseball caps on, identification on display ready and behind them two uniformed officers. As I made my way to the door Quil was already reading the name and badge numbers into the phone. I presumed that Paul or Alex were checking they were real agents.

"What can we do for you gentlemen?" Quil held his phone at a weird angle, someone was listening to what was going on the other end.

"We need to speak to Miss Swan at our base." A medium height, medium build man with a bland face turned his attention to me. He seemed to be in charge and had a slight paunch, however I noticed that both the build and stance of the other two felt more military than police" Could you come with us please." "Am I being arrested?" I was stunned as to what they could want with me.

"Miss Swan," the paunch man looked at his watch, a touch of impatience in his voice, "I would rather we have this discussion in private."

"Five of you to talk to me is a little bit overkill isn't it, what do you need to talk to me about?" I asked looking at the group.

"I will bring her to the station once I have contacted her attorney, "butted in Quil. "What precinct are you attached to?" As I looked at the phone, still in his hand at a jaunty angle I couldn't help but wonder if it was Edward. He would not cope with this at all. The last thing I needed was him coming and causing a scene in the police station. If they arrested him chances are he'd never see daylight again.

"It's okay Quil," I said, calmly and clearly. "I have nothing to hide. I'll go with these gentlemen and you can follow us."

"I don't think that is a good idea Bella." Quil said shaking his head

A growl emanated from the phone, an angry punctuation mark. "Miss Swan," the detective gestured for me to follow.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked the detective.

He looked uncomfortable as he looked at the guy standing next to him.

"We aren't arresting you Miss Swan but we would like to talk to you in private"

I picked up my purse and laptop then turned to Quil.

"Tell him where I am and that I'll see him later and that he has nothing to worry about."

With that I was led downstairs and ushered into the back of an SUV. I could see Quil running out of the building and towards his vehicle. He wrenched open the door but couldn't see what I could, someone had destroyed the two tyres on the passenger side of his car. Quil wasn't following me anywhere. Suddenly I started to feel a little uncomfortable.

I was sandwiched between two officers in the back of the SUV. No one spoke and I struggled to see where I was actually being taken. I assumed that the blacked out windows were for that specific purpose. I held my purse and laptop bag on my knee like a security blanket. Eventually we pulled into an underground car park, the security was top notch, steel roller doors, keypad entrance and cameras everywhere. It was also very obvious that this wasn't a normal police station. I gripped my purse tighter and tried to stay calm.

EPOV

I looked around at the chaos and destruction that used to be my office. Listening to my beautiful Bella being led away by the FBI has to be one of the most horrendous things I have ever listened to, and I've been present when Emmett has been on top form with his surgical tools. As Quil screamed that his car had been vandalised and he couldn't follow her I'd lost the last vestiges of control I'd been clinging to. As the wing back chair sailed through the air and bounced off the far wall everyone except Emmett had excused themselves and left me to my tantrum.

"Are you quite finished bro? Emmett was standing by the door, either keeping people out or me in, I wasn't sure which. "If you are we can go and find Bella." He ducked as I threw a bottle of 18 year old Scotch whisky at him.

"How the fuck are we supposed to find her," I growled, "those weren't ordinary FBI agents. All of their records are locked and that only usually happens when they are deep undercover." I was close to issuing the order to rip this city apart. If the authorities wanted a war I was ready to start one. I could feel my heart breaking as I imagined what they were actually doing to her.

"Edward," he said calmly, "we have a tracker in her laptop and phone. Paul offered to upgrade everything for her a month or two back and while he was working on them he just happened to slip in some top of the range, accurate to 1 metre, homing devices that are constantly transmitting".

It took a minute for the information to sink in but as the second bottle left my hand I realised we had a lead on where she could be. I ignored the smug look on his face as he ducked once more.

"Why the fuck are you stood here if you can find her?" I screamed as the bottle shattered against my office door. Emmett shook the whisky out of his hair and reached behind him to open the door. We both tried to get out of the door at the same time like some bad comedy duo.

By the time we made it to the control room Paul already had both the signals pinpointed and was putting the coordinates into google maps. "You have got to love street view," he said as an image of a nondescript warehouse appeared on the screens.

"Okay, now we know where she is let's see if we can get a better look," he was engrossed in his laptop and I could hear Alex talking to him.

"Where the fuck is she, what is that place?" I was trying to get some answers but Paul and Alex were busy bringing up pictures on the screens of different views of the building. There was no sign of life.

"I'm picking up some infra red activity inside, there are at least six people in two rooms." Alex told us over the intercom.

"Can you get into their security system?" Emmett asked.

"I'm trying but it's one of the tightest systems I've seen, this makes the FBI system look like a gift.

It took ten of the longest minutes I've ever lived through before Alex finally crashed their internal CCTV system. We could see the corridors and some of the car park and Alex kept flicking backwards and forwards as he tried to find any trace of Bella. Quil slipped into the room as we watched the screens and he suddenly shouted at Alex to go back.

"Boss that's the same place they took me," he yelled. "I'd recognise that flooring anywhere."

As soon as he said it Paul started to cross check the coordinates of where Quil had been picked up from and where the Range Rover had been left.

"Boss the SUV was only ten minutes drive from here, chances are he is right, whoever has Bella are the same people who took Quil." A cold finger of fear crept into my heart. She was in danger and it was all my fault.

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Thank you as ever to LL for making this readable as ever a superb job x

Okay you have a choice for the next chapter I have an outtake that covers what happens when Bella wore her lingerie (lemons lots of lemons) or we can find out what's happening. Your choice. Let me know in your reviews please xx.


	37. Chapter 37

TNMC Chapter 37

OK before we get into this chapter I need to address a point you all jumped on. Bella knew they were real AGENTS, she had a feeling everything wasn't completely normal but Quil had checked their credentials over the phone with Paul and their badges were legit. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.

I know Ms Meyer Owns all things twilight.

BPOV

It was becoming increasingly obvious that whoever these guys were, they weren't ordinary FBI agents. I knew how the basic procedures worked and I definitely wasn't in a run of the mill precinct. Chances were this wasn't even the FBI maybe the CIA or even Secret Service, Edward had joked about having the President's personal cell phone number. I wondered for a second or two if I was even going to get out of here alive, before pushing the fear deep down before it overwhelmed me. Unconsciously I had straightened my back, not wanting to show them any fear. I was sure they were something governmental; this had to do with Edward. Whatever they were they were legit. The kit, what they seemed able to do, even the mannerisms smacked of then being anything but regular guys. My gut was telling me I was going to be okay, I just had to hang in and see what this was all about.

The three guys that brought me in were quiet but pleasant. They made sure I was comfortable in the interview room; they even offered me a cup of coffee. A quick glance around and I was confident I knew what was coming. I had seen enough bad cop movies and listened to my dad's stories. I knew the huge mirror was two way and that it was highly likely that someone was watching on the other side. As I sat reflecting on what they could possibly want with me I couldn't help but think about Charlie, my dad. He would be devastated if someone contacted him and told him I'd been arrested. In our weekly chats I hadn't mentioned Jarvis and the trouble he was giving us. He was having a hard enough time coming to terms with the fact that his daughter was 'shacking up' with the local mobster. I just couldn't bring myself to tell him, he'd have been on the first plane here to sort Jarvis out and I knew that wasn't a good thing. If Edward and all his resources couldn't find Jarvis then Charlie didn't stand a chance. He thought the local teenagers racing up and down the roads and then having a noisy party was a crime spree.

I sat still and quiet sipping my coffee. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong and had a pretty good idea this was going to be about Edward. I'd been seen out and about enough with him for the authorities to be aware of me. All I could think was that they were going to try and question me about his business. Edward was right, while we weren't married they could subpoena me to give evidence. I genuinely knew nothing about his activities and whilst I had my suspicions I wasn't stupid enough to voice them. All I had to do was keep calm and answer everything honestly. It suddenly occurred to me that I had the right to an attorney. I dug in my purse and pulled out my phone. I went to call Edward but thought better of it, the last thing he needed was to get all wound up. As I flicked through my contacts I nearly called my Dad but decided against it, he was so far away. I settled on calling Alice, she could tell Jasper were I was and he would surely be able to represent me. Decision made I pushed the green button on my phone to connect. It rang a few times before the answer phone kicked in. Before I could say anything the door opened. I had a thought, if I left the phone in my lap hopefully Alice would hear what was happening when she listened to the voice mail. A voice asked me to hand over my phone. As my heart sank, hopes dashed, I looked up to protest. The words caught in my mouth, standing before me in a suit and tie with an identification badge around his neck was Mr Jarvis, flanked by two other men.

"You? What the fuck are you doing here?" I couldn't believe it, after everything that had happened he was a cop.

"Miss Swan," he said smoothly, "let me introduce myself. My name is Special Agent Aro Voltori, I'm sorry for the way in which we have had to meet previously but we had to make sure you were the person we needed to help us." He sat down across from me, placing my phone face down at his side. I had no idea if he had actually turned if off or if the message for Alice was still recording.

"What can I possibly do to help you?" I steeled myself for the questions about Edward to begin.

"Before we start," he began, composing his face into something that I think he meant to look sympathetic, "I have some upsetting news I need to inform you about. Information has been received from our contacts regarding your father." I stared at him, keeping my expression deliberately blank. "Police Chief Charles Swan," he elaborated. My stomach clenched as if it had been punched. "We are trying to get hold of him to put him protective custody. We have it on good authority that a hit has been put out on him." Jarvis carried on as though he was talking about the weather. "Now we know he has gone fishing today and we hoped you could tell us where he usually goes. We need to get to him before Masen's men do." He threw the name in casually. Masen, Masen? I wracked my brain. I couldn't recall anybody in Forks with that name.

"What do you mean a hit? Who the hell would wish harm on my Dad? The worst thing he ever does is issue tickets to the kids' drag racing on the back roads." I was starting to panic, this had thrown me. I was so sure this would be about Edward but it was Charlie that was in trouble.

"Miss Swan," a note of impatience entered his carefully controlled voice. "We will answer all your questions after you have helped us. Now please, who will Chief Swan be with?"

"He will be with Harry Clearwater, they have several different spots they go to. It would be easier if you got me a map of the area I could point them out easier than describe how to get to them".

Jarvis or Volturi, whatever his name was, nodded at one of the other guys and he got up and left the room.

"Who is this Masen and what do they have to do with my Dad? Is it someone my Dad has arrested before?" He was a small town cop, I was genuinely mystified. I worried that he might get caught in the crossfire of a domestic incident, being the target of a professional hit had never been something that I worried about.

"Edward Masen," Jarvis granted me a full name. My mind went into overdrive, trying to think if I had ever come across that name previously. He looked at his nails, feigning boredom. "You live with him don't you?" The smirk on his face told me he thought he was being a real smart ass.

"No I don't know anyone called Edward Masen," my mind was reeling but I tried to stick with the facts. "I live with a man called Edward Cullen." I lowered my voice. "Mainly because we were so concerned about some shit of a physco called Jarvis who was stalking me."

"Well I'm sorry to break this to you Miss Swan," his tone indicated that he really wasn't sorry, "If you really don't know then your boyfriend has been lying to you. He goes by the name of Masen in certain circles, his shall we say, less than legal business opportunities are carried out in that name." Jarvis/ Volturi was now leaning back in his chair with a self satisfied grin on his face. I had a overwhelming urge to kick the chair leg from under him so he fell backwards.

"I'm sorry I can't help you sir," I managed an apologetic smile. "I have absolutely no knowledge of this Edward Masen or anyone who has any illegal businesses. The Edward I know runs a few clubs around the city, so you seem to have gotten me mixed up with someone else. I'd like to leave now please." I stood to walk to the door and my stomach unclenched a little as Jarvis let me go. As I grabbed the handle I realised the door was locked. There was a small electronic panel on the side of the door and my guess was the identification around Jarvis's neck needed swiping along it to unlock it.

"Please sit down Miss Swan. "He started tapping on the laptop in front of him, he looked up at me then started tapping again.

"I have some bad news for you I'm afraid Miss Swan, we weren't able to get to your father in time." A cold fear unfurled in my stomach. I tried to stay calm, he was just trying to scare me. He turned round the laptop to face me. I was in no way ready for the sight that met me. There in glorious colour was a crime scene photo like everything you have seen on every cop show on television. Yellow and black tape sectioned off an area near a river bank. I could make out Charlie's old and battered tackle box and Sue's cool box, probably still filled with the she lunch she usually packed for them. She always packed too much. Tears misted my eyes. I was focusing on the lunch box, but I could still see the rest of the picture in my peripheral vision. There were two bodies slumped on the grass, one in a red checked flannel shirt and a body warmer over the top, the other in a beige coat with a battered baseball cap still on his head. I couldn't see either face but there was blood everywhere on the grass and bank around them. I knew that bodywarmer, Charlie had owned it for years.

"We were probably about an hour too late getting to them," said Jarvis, without a hint of apology. "We managed to track your father's phone signal, he'd apparently tried to call you but you hadn't answered." He turned the laptop away from me so I could no longer see the photo.

"So Miss Swan are you ready to talk to us now? Masen or Cullen, whatever you want to call him, has as good as pulled the trigger himself, orders like this only come from the top".

EPOV

We were trying to find out what was happening and who had Bella. I had calmed down considerably but I could feel everything bubbling back up as progress faltered. Emmett, Jasper and my father were all on their phones as we pulled in every favour we could think of. My father called Senators, governors and Police Commissioners as we tried to get to the bottom of who used the nondescript warehouse. Emmett was talking to his contacts on the street as I called other family heads. No one had any idea who or what was going on and It soon became apparent that this was a relatively new task force that must have been put together fairly recently. No one seemed to know anything.

"Boss can I just say something?" asked Alex as we all crowded into the control centre at the club. I nodded for him to go ahead.

"This all makes sense now. If this is a new task force set up specially, it would explain why Jarvis has no substantial history and why we can't find him. He doesn't actually exist."

Alex was as ever bashing away on the keyboard and screens flickered with new information. "I can see now what we have been missing, whoever this is has created the persona of Jarvis knowing we would check him out. Every lead we follow is carefully crafted to send us in circles and frustrate us. He just has a limited credit history and a basic framework of information because he doesn't exist. That would also explain why we didn't get any hits in the facial recognition, they would have loaded the photo of the guy masquerading as Jarvis and just programmed the system to block any hits on it. They knew we would check and they were ready for us."

I rubbed my hands up and down my face, trying to rationalise everything I was hearing. "I understand what you are saying but why Isabella?"

"It's got to be to do with you Boss, "Seth answered. I had come to the same conclusion myself but hearing it out loud made me grit my teeth.

"Think about it, Jarvis turned up just after you met her. What if they have been waiting for a way to get to you? Bella has been stalked just enough to unsettle her but never actually harmed or even really approached. Everything has been done over the phone or from a distance. The break in at her apartment it was probably intended to push her closer to you and into your home. She has been living with you for a month or so now, they will be interested to know what she knows."

"As much as hate to admit it Edward that really does make sense," Emmett said as he put his phone down on the table. "What we need to look at now is how we get to her before they can start to question her."

"She knows nothing Emmett, nothing at all," I was sure of that.

"She's not stupid," Emmett pointed out. "I'm sure that she has her suspicions. She does know we met with James Hunter at the penthouse."

"She may do but she has no idea what happened to him afterwards or where we took him. All she could do is identify he was there that day, that's if she even remembers him." I had faith in Isabella, we would be fine. She certainly wasn't the type to shoot her mouth off.

I leaned back against the wall and tried to clear my mind so I could think rationally. We knew where she was, we knew she was being questioned by a murky but at least legitimate government agency. She was safe, they wouldn't harm her and I just needed to be ready for what if anything she told them.

"Edward, my boy," my dad bellowed, "I've just spoken to the Senator's PA. She was able to do some digging and she has confirmed that Bella is with a new FBI task force in the warehouse. Their objective is to bring down the organised crimes families." He snorted. "Given that we fund most of the senators in the surrounding states, I'm surprised no one had said anything sooner." Carlisle was a ruthless man and Edward was sure this meant trouble for several high profile individuals who had let him down.

I calmed down considerably, no matter what she was with the FBI and they wouldn't torture her or harm her in anyway. "Thanks Dad at least we know she is safe now." He could see the relief on my face and his smile and slight nod let me knew he understood how I was feeling.

"She may be fine," he said ominously, "but I have a feeling several senior officials in the surrounding areas might just be ready for a change of profession." He was already plotting. I could see the cogs whirring in his brain.

"We need to concentrate on Isabella at the moment, nothing happens until I have her home and in one piece." I made sure everyone in the room understood that she was to be our priority.

"Do we storm the building and get her out of there or do we wait for her to be released" Emmett asked as he started to look over the internal plans of the facility Alex had found somewhere on line and now had on display across the screens in front of us.

"We can't go in there without getting arrested," I crossed my arms across my chest. "We need to get someone into her; surely she should be able to have a lawyer with her." Carlisle was already calling his old friend Edward Snr.

"No Dad, not him," I snapped. "As much as you trust him he is still my ex father in law. Find Whitlock. Why the fuck isn't he already here?"


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

TNMC

I know this isn't the chapter you were expecting but I need to stand up for Jasper he's getting such a hard time.

Alice's POV

"Please Jasper baby, it won't take long," I tried my best pout, hoping it would come across on the phone.

"Oh that really is the way to get me going Alice," he said drily, "telling me I won't take long isn't helping."

"But baby the thermometer says I'm ovulating now," the sexy gave way to a little whiny. "I need you to do the business and fertilise me." He must be able to pick up on my frustration. I knew my window of ovulation was imminent. I needed him here in the next hour or so when I was at my most fertile.

"You know you're ready to burst Jasper," I lowered my voice, "how are your blue balls? Can't you feel all those little swimmers waiting to burst out and escape, they want to come find my warm, dark secret place that you love so much." I was teasing him, deliberately talking crassly, but getting him out from behind his desk and home from work was getting harder every month. We had been trying to start a family for months and I was seriously fed up with the negative signs that kept appearing on the sticks. What I would give to see those two little blue lines.

"Alice, really!" He chastised my gently. "Did you just hear yourself? I want to make love to you all night and you just want me to rush home and impregnate you in my lunch break." He was only half joking. I felt ashamed for a moment then took a deep breath and tried to refocus on our joint goal.

"For us to get pregnant," I told him, gently, "you have to fertilise my egg with your sperm. Now, please, for fuck's sake get your ass over here to spa now and do the business."

"Alice I'm with your brother and your father, there is something happening here and I'm needed"

"I don't give a fuck if you are having tea with the Queen of England, get your ass here now"

With that I cut him off. I loved my husband but sometimes I wondered just how he would cope in the real world. Jasper is one of those men who could probably solve world hunger if he put his mind to it, but actually managing to walk and talk at the same time usually caused him problems. I could understand why my brother wanted him as his consigliore. Jasper was an excellent lawyer and strategist, he could see every available outcome to a problem and was ready for whatever was thrown at him. His one failing with operating in my brother's world was that Jasper just wasn't ruthless enough.

This showed in every aspect of his day to day life. He would never turn anyone away from his office even though he never advertised for clients. Hs work for Edward kept him busy enough on both sides of the law, but lately word seemed to have got out he would take on a pro bono case if you had a decent sob story. So much so I actually came home a week or so ago to find a young mum and her kids in our home. He'd offered her a bed for the night while he tried to fight the landlord who had thrown her out. Don't get me wrong, I love him dearly and my heart nearly burst out of my chest with emotion when I realised what he had done but sometimes I think that my family maybe isn't good for him.

I looked at the appointment book for the day. The Spa was busy but I had a relatively quiet day. The books were up to date and all the employees had their lists for the day. We had a few late appointments if there were any walk- ins but I doubted there would be any. I needed a distraction. Work was spotless, hopefully Jasper would come but it depended if Edward needed him.

My soft hearted husband was still coming to terms with the screaming attack Edward had unleashed on him for letting Tanya into his office. That had been one hell of meeting. Luckily I'd been at Jaspers office when Edward had burst in, gun drawn, threatening Jasper with all sorts of horrendous punishments. I'm still not sure that Jasper is aware of how close he came to dying that day. It was the sight of me that stopped Edward from pulling the trigger. Had I not been there I'm not sure just how far Edward would have gone. He's my brother but sometimes when he's in full boss mode I'm not sure that I know him at all.

Luckily Seth and I had managed to calm the situation down and once Edward was actually listening Jasper managed to explain that Tanya had already been at the club when we got there. He had picked up the divorce papers from his contact at the court only to find they were already signed by Tanya. Neither of us knew she was even back in the country so Jasper had spent the next couple of hours on the phone trying to work out not only how Tanya had been able to sign them but also who had told her they were ready for signing. As the hours passed he finally managed to find the court official who had handed the papers to Tanya and witnessed her signature. With a little gentle persuasion the clerk admitted that Edward Denali had paid him to let him know when the papers were ready and to delay getting them to Jasper so he could get his daughter to sign them. My poor Jasper sat for the rest of the night trying to decide what Ed Snr was playing at.

All that became apparent when we finally made it to Edward's club later that night. Jasper couldn't do what he needed to do with the papers until after midnight and Edward was usually busy in the evenings so we went for dinner and swung by the club on our way home. Jasper did try to get hold of my brother but he didn't pick up for some reason. So imagine our surprise when we walked into the main reception and there was the soon to be ex Mrs Cullen screeching at the door man to let here in.

I'll give Arthur his due, he wasn't taking any shit from her, he simply kept informing her that Mr Cullen had removed her from the entry list and as she wasn't a member of the club she couldn't come in. I couldn't help myself. I laughed out loud. The more she tried the 'do you know who I am' and 'My husband owns this fucking club, you have to let me in' tact the louder my laughter got. I was provoking her but I really didn't care by that point.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Tanya screamed. "You fucking bitch!" she added as she realised her predicament was becoming public. All I could think about was if I could lift her hissy fit from the computer system and post it on the internet, this shit would go viral in minutes.

"Oh Tanya dear, I'm laughing at you like I normally do," I purred, "It's good to see you still don't disappoint as a constant source of amusement." I know it was bitchy but really! Who the fuck did she think she was?

"Now now ladies enough," said Jasper smoothly as he surreptitiously tried to insert himself between us. I hadn't realised but somehow Tanya and I were stood face to boobs as she was several inches taller than me and had heels on. I may not be able to head butt her but I could certainly do damage to those inflated silicone bags that Edward didn't even realised he'd paid for.

"Tanya I'm surprised to see you here," Jasper's voice was carefully bland. "I thought until a few hours ago you were still on your cruise?" As ever my husband was the calming influence.

"Daddy contacted us on the ship last week," she replied smugly, "he told us to come home so momma and I got off at the next port and flew home. As you probably know by now he had me go straight to the court house and sign the papers, but then he rang me earlier tonight and told me Edward wanted to see me tonight to discuss our divorce." She threw up her hands as if this was an inconvenience. "So here I am!" I tried to read her face it was its usual blank canvas. I would have blamed it on the botox but she always been somewhat inscrutable. She was either a very good liar or she was doing as she was told, either of those options were possible.

"Let's get upstairs out of the way of the staff and patrons," said Jasper as he started to herd us towards the internal door.

"I'm sorry Mr Whitlock, I really can't allow Mrs Cullen in," said Arthur. "Mr Cullen has left specific instructions that she is not to be allowed in."

"I'll take full responsibility," he told Arthur, putting a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder. A weak smile split Arthur's face. "Don't worry," he continued. "She can stay with us, we'll make sure she doesn't get into any mischief." Jasper was already pressing the keys on the keypad so he could override the door staff, the door swung open and Tanya barged through the door with Jasper quickly following behind her.

"I'm sorry Arthur," I grimaced. I wasn't sure that Jasper understood what he had just done. "Don't worry, I'll sort it out with my brother." Arthur smiled weakly and nodded. As we sat waiting for Edward to show up it was obvious Tanya had no idea why she was there, as far as she was concerned her Daddy had told her to be at the club, so she was.

"So Tanya, what are your plans now you are a divorced woman?" I asked as she tried to get comfortable on the sofa in Edward's office.

"Oh I don't know yet," she said sweetly, an undertone of vinegar in her voice, "I suppose when I find a nice penthouse somewhere, Daddy will buy it for me seeing as Edward has left me practically destitute."

I wanted to do a serious amount of damage to her smug face. She was sat there wearing designer clothes, Tiffany Jewellery and carrying a bag that would pay several months rent on a small family home, claiming to be destitute.

"Destitute, you have had a settlement have you not?"I had no idea what the terms of the divorce were but I'm guessing she got very little seeing as she was unfaithful.

"You can hardly call it a settlement," I felt that her annoyance wasn't feigned, she just couldn't mask her distaste. "It's an insult but Daddy has told me to be patient and he will sort everything out. I'm sure he and Uncle Carlisle will make sure I'm kept in the style I'm used to."

This time Jasper had to physically restrain me, if she thought my father was going to do anything to help her cheating ass she had another thought coming. I know that the family look after each other, I don't know what game Edward Senior he was playing but Tanya being here wasn't going to make a scrap of difference, Edward was ready to get divorced and he was ready to move on with Isabella.

The reception door of the Spa opened. . I lifted my head, hoping it was Jasper even though I knew he hadn't had enough time to get here. One of my regulars, Mrs Bailey, walked towards me, a huge smile on her face. I was just about to acknowledge her when my phone chimed letting me know I had an answer phone message.

"Alice my dear," she trilled, pushing her sunglasses back from her face. "I know I don't have an appointment but I've chipped my nail polish. Can you get me in for an emergency manicure?" She flashed her almost perfect polished nails at me and I looked down at the appointment book.

"Any time for you Mrs Bailey you know that. " I flashed my special accommodating owner's smile.

It took me about fifteen minutes to get her out of reception and into the manicure chair so Cherie could look after her. I'm sure that almost half of my ladies came here to socialise more than anything. They loved to know that someone listened to them and actually took care of them for a change.

I finally checked the phone message, expecting it to be Jasper with an excuse why he couldn't come and see me but as I listened I could tell it was something entirely different. The first minute or so was clear, a man talking to Bella and introducing himself and then the conversation turned to Edward and to her father. As I listened I realised what she had done and I knew I needed to speak to Edward as soon as possible. I grabbed my coat and purse before running out into the street to grab a cab. Just as the cab pulled away I saw Jasper parking up his truck. Fertilisation would have to wait today; I needed to get to Edward.


	39. Chapter 39

The most incredible thing has happened. I've been nominated in the 2017 Twific Fandom Awards.

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	40. Chapter 40

TNMC

Chapter 39

As you are probably aware FF is having some problems, I have seen some of your reviews and answered the ones I can. If I've missed you I'm sorry I will try and catch up.

BPOV

I was unable to concentrate on what anybody was saying. Not that there were any actual conversations going on. It was mainly Jarvis, or whatever his name was, firing questions at me that I couldn't answer. Whether he thought because he'd just told me Edward had murdered my father that I was suddenly going to give up all my secrets he was in for a shock. I couldn't remember my own name at the moment never mind what Edward was supposed to be doing when he wasn't with me.

"So Miss Swan, Isabella," Jarvis pushed a hard copy of the image that had been on his screen earlier in front of me, "can I call you Isabella?". I reached out to touch the image. My dad was lying on his side, facing away from the camera. I couldn't see where the blood was coming from but it was definitely from his front. He actually looked asleep and if it wasn't for all the blood I could probably convince myself he was okay. Harry Clearwater was sat in an old fishing chair. I recognised the battered khaki chair, bent on one leg where he had got it stuck down a gopher hole. I traced the outline of the chair, a faint ghost of a smile playing over my lips as I remembered how Charlie had roared with laughter that day. In the photograph he was in a weird position, slumped back as if he was asleep with his baseball cap pulled down over his face. There was no sign of any wound but there was blood under the chair and I could see a thin red line running down from under the sleeve of his jacket and a pool on the grass below his hanging arm. I stroked his shoulder trying to find comfort from the image and hoping he had died quickly. Jarvis slamming his chair down and scraping the legs on the floor as he stood up brought me back into the present.

He walked around to my side of the table and pulled the photograph out from underneath my hand so that I could see four smears down the shiny surface where my fingers had tried to stop him. He placed another image in front of me.

"Do you know or have you ever met a Mr James Hunter?" I looked at the new photo and the face did register. I'd seen him somewhere but I couldn't place him at the moment.

"No," I shook my head, "I don't." I answered. I just wanted this ordeal over so that I could finally fall apart. I wanted my Mum, I wanted Edward but most of all I wanted my Dad. I had to see for myself he was gone. I pushed the photograph away and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Miss Swan," he snapped, "we know you have probably seen this man, either in the flesh or on CCTV tapes so please think about it." He pushed the photograph back toward me, his face taut. "This man was Masen's wife lover until he found out about him and had him executed."

"Executed?" I looked up, startled. "What are you talking about?"

"Isabella please don't play coy," I could tell by the faint smirk on his face that he was pleased at my reaction. "We already have all the answers to the questions we are asking you. We just need to know how much you actually know." The smirk morphed into a smug grin.

"Well I can save us all a lot of bother and time then," I picked up the photo, looked once more, shrugged then throw it on the floor. Annoyance wiped the smug grin from his face. I knew I was provoking him but I didn't care. "I know nothing and you know everything so why don't you let me go, I have a flight to catch and a funeral to arrange." I stood up pushed the chair noisily under the table and tried to walk to the door.

"Sit down Miss Swan." He pulled out the chair I had been sitting on. "We aren't finished yet." He gestured for me to sit down.

"Why? I have already told you I don't know anything about Edward's business." He was starting to get on my nerves, why wasn't he listening to me?

"I'm sure you must know something," he said, in a gentler, wheedling tone. "Conversations you have overheard, pillow talk?" He paused but I knew his game, I wouldn't fill the silence. "Please Miss Swan, anything you remember, no matter how mundane, you may be able to help us bring down his empire." I tried the door, it was locked. Reluctantly I sat back down again.

"We know you met Mr Cullen as you call him," Jarvis was typing on his laptop again, not even looking at me, "the day Mr Hunter went missing. Please think carefully have you seen this man or has he mentioned him at all?" Jarvis pushed the photo again in front of me.

Suddenly I remembered the penthouse and the prospective buyer who had shown up late and how Emmett and Edward had led him away letting me believe they were some type of law enforcement. I couldn't help but laugh, how strange that we were right back at the beginning only this time I knew Edward was the baddie.

"So from your expression I see you remember him Miss Swan, would you care to inform us for the record exactly what happened, where you saw him, who was with him, what happened? Every detail maybe crucial so please take your time and try and remember everything you can."

I sat looking at the image of Mr Jones or Hunter whatever he was called. At the moment everyone except me seemed to have two or more identities. I was trying to decide what to tell him to make sure that neither Edward nor Emmett was implicated when suddenly the door opened and one of the other detectives poked his head in.

"Boss her attorney is here and demanding to see her," the look on Jarvis's face was priceless, for one moment his smugness disappeared and an unhealthy gray pallor settled in its place.

"How the fuck did anyone even know she was here, never mind get past security and into the facility?" His words snapped me into focus, I wasn't here legally that changed things.

"Not sure Boss but he says he's her attorney," the look on the detectives face didn't sit right with me. He was trying to give Jarvis a message but I couldn't work out what it was.

"Well what's his name?" Jarvis asked.

"It's Edward Denali Snr." A wide smile spread across his face. My stomach lurched. I had been expecting it be Jasper. Why the hell would Edward send his ex father in law? A million conflicting thoughts flitted through my head. I took a deep breath. If Edward had sent him I had to trust that he had a reason.

"Bring him in then," said Jarvis, "let's get on with this then we can all go home."

"Volturi," Edward Denali Snr walked into the room like he owned it, nodding his head at Jarvis. It didn't go unnoticed by me that he referred to the man as Volturi. These two obviously knew each other, strange circles to move in for a detective and a retired consigliore. I recognised him as the man I seen with Carlisle the day I tried to return the gifts to Edward at his club. I knew he had also been at the restaurant the day Edward got his divorce. Perhaps it was the fact that Mr Denali knew Volturi that had made him Edward's choice in this matter.

"I need to have a word with my client gentlemen, if you could let us have the room." He stood at the end of the table looking at the images still on display. Jarvis made a big show of scraping his chair back and slamming his lap top lid down but he made no effort to pick up the images. Mr Denali got a good look at both of them. As soon as the room was clear he sat down across from me in the chair vacated by Jarvis.

"So my dear," he said, gently, "tell me everything you know but haven't told them so I can determine the amount of damage I may need to mop up for my son in law. We cannot afford for him to be arrested. Carlisle and I are far too old to go back to running the family business." He sat back and crossed his arms resting them on his protruding stomach.

"I haven't told them anything because I don't know anything sir." I was a little stunned with his remarks; surely he knew they were listening to every word. The fact that he had referred to himself as father in law in the present tense had made me a little suspicious.

"Surely you know something you can give them," he leant over the table, lowering his voice, "just a little tit bit, anything that will get both of us out of here in the next hour?" He was sweating, I could see the beads of sweat on his receding hairline. It struck me as odd the room wasn't warm, it wasn't chilly but it definitely wasn't warm enough to warrant him needing to use the handkerchief from his top pocket to mop his brow.

"I can honestly say that I know nothing about his businesses or his extended family. Edward has never talked to me about anything other than the club he owns. I know Emmett and Rosie work there. I've met Alice his sister and her husband and his parents. I've even seen you and your daughter before at a restaurant but that is everything I know about the family."

He uncrossed his arms and amended his posture as he tried to get comfortable on the hard plastic chair. "Isabella my dear, these people have obviously put a lot of time, money and energy into choosing you as the person who could help them. They wouldn't have brought you in if they weren't sure you could help them." He was leaning forward across the table towards me. I had the distinct impression he was trying to intimidate me.

"Are you my attorney Mr Denali or here for them? Aren't you supposed to be advising me to say nothing and making sure I look after Edward?" By this time I was beginning to worry what was actually going on. He had to know every word was being recorded and analysed. I suddenly had a disturbing thought, maybe he was here to get his own back on me for living with Edward. He was Tanya's father after all.

"You do know that Edward's marriage was over long before he met me don't you?" My tone was icy. "Their marriage was in name only for several years, in fact they have shown me a photo of her lover." I reached over and pushed the photo forward for him to see. I wanted to shout and scream that it was inappropriate for him to be here but I was terrified that he was my only chance.

"James was such an idiot," said Denali, almost to himself. "How he expected to live after stealing from Edward I'll never understand. He turned a blind eye to their affair you know, but the money was a totally different issue. He couldn't live after that." He lifted his head and looked straight at me. "Just shows how my son in law put far more store in the cash than my daughter's happiness. How does that make you feel Isabella? Knowing you will always be second best to the business, in fact you'll be in fourth place behind the family, the legal business and the illegal family?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My so called attorney had just expressed to everyone who was listening that Edward had had James killed for stealing off him.

"I'm sure that's not the case Mr Denali," I replied primly. "Edward would never hurt anyone, he certainly wouldn't have ordered someone killed for stealing from him and I really don't think you should be saying things like that in this place." I was starting to get really pissed off at him, he was supposed to be here to help me.

"Don't worry," he waved his hand around vaguely, "attorney client confidentiality and all that while we are in discussions. They can't use anything even if they are listening." He was very confident so I had to believe him.

"I am here to help the process Isabella, the fact you have taken my Tanya's husband away from her has nothing to do with this so let's think shall we what do you know that you can tell them?"

"For the last time Mr Denali I don't know anything so please get me out of here" I stood up and slammed my hands on the table to emphasise my point. The laptop moved and I realised Jarvis had left my phone on the table. Before I even realised what I was doing I reached across the table and picked it up. I quickly pushed speed dial #1.

"Edward "was all I managed to say before he started down the phone at me.

"Are you okay? Where the fuck are you? Are they treating you well? I'll fucking flatten this city if anyone has even so much as touched you." I could hear the anger in his voice but he was trying to hide it, I could also hear how frightened he was.

"Put the phone down," Denali said as he tried to grab the phone.

I quickly moved out of his reach and I could hear Edward shouting me. "What the fuck is Denali doing there. Did you call him?"

"How could I..." The phone was taken from me by Jarvis. I hadn't even noticed he'd walked back into the room. He quickly turned the phone off and then dropped it on the floor before stamping heavily on it several times.

"You bastard, there was no need for that!" I screamed as I tried to pick up the pieces.

"Now have we finally done pissing about Isabella," he swept the pieces back onto the floor. "I want some answers and I want them know. What do you know about Edward Cullen or Edward Masen and his illegal businesses?"

EPOV

She had only been gone a few hours and already I could feel my mood dropping. It was like part of me was missing. I think it was even worse knowing where she was and who she was with, I could imagine everything that was happening to her in there. They would be telling her all sorts of stories about me and firing questions at her she wouldn't be able to answer. I'd been so careful around her, never talking about anything that could incriminate me or her or make her an accessory after the fact. I would have loved to have told her the funny incidents that happened but I couldn't react to in front of my men, but I didn't. I couldn't believe it when my phone flashed at me showing it was her

"Edward," she sounded okay but I really didn't give here chance to say anything else, if I'd have been a little more in control I could have helped her.

"Are you okay, Where the fuck are you? Are they treating you well." My anger was growing and I tried really hard to control myself, for the first time in my adult life I was frightened, really frightened. As I drew breath and waited for her to answer I heard a voice I'd known all my life.

"Put the phone down." A fresh flash of anger flared over me.

"What the fuck is Denali doing there? Did you call him?" I couldn't understand why he would be there, Isabella had no way of contacting him.

"Isabella are you okay, Isabella...?" The phone went dead.

"What the fuck? PAUL, PAUL GET THE FUCK UP HERE NOW!" There wasn't much left of my office to destroy but if he couldn't tell me why Denali was there I was fearful for the rest of the building.

"What's up Boss?" He stood in the doorway, cautiously surveying the devastation.

"I need you to hack into Edward Denali's phone records, I want to know who called him last and if you can find him and his phone."

"No problem boss, just give me five minutes." I sat back in my leather chair and put my feet up on the desk, this day was going from bad to worse. I needed Isabella back in my arms and soon or heads were going to start to roll. This city had no idea what I would unleash if one of their 'finest' had hurt her.

"Boss I've got it," Paul was back in the doorway with a huge grin on his face.

"WELL..?" What was wrong with people? I was desperate for information here.

"The call came from within the building both Denali and Isabella are in now, whoever called rang from a burner phone and they were only connected for fifteen seconds, just long enough to tell him she was there perhaps?" Paul could be wrong but it a weird way it made sense, why would anyone from the task force call him ?

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"

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I'm postiing early in the hope it will remind you to pop over to the Twificfandomawards blogspot. I need every vote if I'm going to get through the first round. I could be bribed, if I get through I'll post the first outtake, how does that sound xx


	41. Chapter 41

TNMC

Chapter 40

EPOV

I needed to regroup. If Denali was in on this somehow I needed to assess who I could actually trust. When it came down to it, at times like this it was just my immediate family Dad, Emmett and Alice that I could trust without question. I kicked through the carpet of broken glass, strewn papers and pieces of smashed technology until I found my phone, miraculously in one piece. I dusted it off and called Alice.

"Edward," she said before I could even announce myself, she sounded like she was running or walking fast. "I'm on my way, I have something you need to hear.".

"Hurry," I cautioned, "I need to speak to you urgently." Why was it everyone was always a step behind where I needed them to be? Other then fucking Jarvis of course.

"I know Edward, I know. I'll be there in a minute." She hung up so I went back downstairs to the control centre to find Emmett and Dad. They followed me back upstairs and as we approached my office Alice was already bustling along the corridor towards us. She followed the three of us into my office and I closed the door.

"Interesting Interior Decor Edward," she drawled" but I have to admit I can't see it winning any awards" I looked at the devastation all around the room and realised they had nowhere to sit. Emmett and I righted the couch and the wing back chair so we could all sit down. Alice tried to pick up the artwork that was no longer on the walls and the framed college degrees and licences.

"Leave them Alice we can clear up later." I took the broken picture frames from her and slung them carelessly into the corner of the office. The splintering of the glass into even smaller pieces caused the others to wince but I found it strangely calming. I was moving into war mode. I could feel my walls coming down and my senses sharpening, the noise of destruction sending tingles down my spine. I was ready to sort this shit out.

"We have a problem that needs keeping within the family and by family." I looked at each of them in turn. "By that I mean the four of us. No husbands, girlfriends, wives or best friends, just us." Each one of my audience looked surprised and started to ask what was happening. "What about Jasper Edward?" As always Alice got straight to the heart of the matter. "Isn't he supposed to be your right hand man?" Her phone started to ring. Jasper's photograph flashed up on the screen.

"No Alice, you'll understand when I tell you." She pissed me off by answering her phone but before I could grab it and send it towards the rest of the broken shit in the corner she raised her hand to stop me, anticipating what I was going to do.

"I know Jasper," she told him brusquely, "I know but something important came up, I'll call you when I get back. Go back to work." She nodded and made a few strange noises before speaking again. "No Jasper I don't know where Edward is. Why do you want to know?" Her face fell for a moment before relief flooded over her and her colour came back.

"If you have a meeting arranged with him soon I'm sure he will let you know if he can't make it. There is no reason why he couldn't make you aware of that is there?" She was looking at me and the scowl on her face warned me I was going to pay for something.

As soon as she hung up she got up in my face I could see the vein in her forehead protruding. I had the exact same one and it was a tell for both of us. She was seriously pissed off.

"You bastard, making me doubt my own fucking husband. I know him, he is one hundred percent loyal to you and me." She was almost spitting in my face, the venom obvious. I'd forgotten how vicious Alice could be when it came to protecting her loved ones.

"Now sweetheart calm down, we don't even know what Edward has to tell us." Dad butted in, trying to calm the situation down. He sat in the wingback, his greying hair immaculate as ever looking serene despite the chaos all around his feet.

With a weary sigh I quickly bought Alice up to date on what had happened to Isabella, from the second the feds knocked on the penthouse door to what we knew now. I continued on then telling them that Denali was with her.

"What the fuck is that old perv doing there?" Emmett asked, looking at Carlisle.

He took a second before he answered but I could tell he was already running possibilities through his mind, his years of experience coming into play. When he was ready he answered Emmett.

"I have absolutely no idea," he stroked his chin for a moment, as if deep in thought, "why he would be there. I mean, he hasn't practised law in years so it's not as though he can represent her. None of us called him to help her." He was already punching a number into his phone as he finished speaking.

"Edward that's why I'm here," said Alice, thrusting her phone toward me urgently. "Bella left me a message earlier, I've only just realised what it is."

She pressed play on her phone and we listened as she identified Jarvis as Aro Volturi and they told her about trying to find her dad. The message finished just as he explained to her who Edward Masen was.

I felt sick to my stomach, hearing Isabella's voice made everything very real. I wanted to grab handfuls of my own hair and scream in frustration but instead I took a deep breath and slowly counted as I let it out. I needed to be level headed and calm for once, this was one situation where I couldn't shoot first and worry about it later.

"Who the fuck is Edward Masen?" Emmett asked. He looked at me.

I shrugged my shoulders. I genuinely had no idea. I was proud of the Cullen name and I wouldn't use another, in my business I needed to be feared and my reputation go before me, it couldn't do that if people were confused who they were dealing with. Dad coughed awkwardly. Emmett, Alice and I turned to face him.

"Edward Masen is an old pseudonym I used years ago when Denali and I were in college." He looked abashed by his confession. "I knew I was going to be the head of the family from a very early age, just like you have Edward, so I used it when I was in college. I wanted a shot at a normal life before I signed my life to the family business. It was a few years where Denali and I could be anything we wanted to be, away from our fathers watchful eyes. Only two people would ever remember me using that name, your mother and Edward Denali. "His phone rang. "Gabriella darling," he snatched it up. I made to rearrange my features into a disapproving scowl but he warned me off with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you so much for calling me back so quickly. What did you find out for me?" He listened intently asking a few questions before hanging up. "It seems the sneaky bastard has reapplied for his licence to practice law and it was granted several weeks ago. I'm sure a huge bundle of cash was donated to a suitable pocket to arrange that. "He looked up before continuing. "What the fucking hell is he playing at?" Carlisle was talking to himself as he started to type on his phone once more.

"I don't understand? Why would the old man want to practice again?" Emmett asked. "He wasn't even a good lawyer in the first place."

"Think about it you stupid shit," I snapped, "this isn't about a mid-life career change. Don't you think it's a bit coincidental that he gets his licence to practice back just as I meet Isabella and then turns up just as she gets taken in for questioning?"

"That's what I don't understand," he replied, plaintively, "why would Isabella call him to represent her?" Emmett as ever was slow to catch up but I knew he would get there eventually.

"For fucks sake Em," muttered Alice. "Thing about it. She didn't call him, she called me. I'm thinking she thought calling Edward directly would be a bad thing so she went for me, probably so I could get Jasper for her." Alice was at least up to speed with me.

"I'm taking it," continued Alice, "that Denali was either already at the place waiting for her or someone called him when they knew they had her." She looked at me and Carlisle. My father's head nodded slightly in agreement. His phone beeped signalling three message alerts in a row. He snatched it up again and gestured for us to carry on talking while he read whatever was coming through for him.

"He was contacted from inside the complex by one of the team there," I told Emmett, my voice as heavy as my heart. Explaining it out loud hurt me all over again. "It wasn't Jarvis or whatever his name is, so they all have to be in on it. I'm presuming the whole team know what's going on. Whoever contacted him was only on the phone seconds so everything was obviously prearranged." "Son it's obvious he's working for them." The set of his jaw was grim. They had grown up together, I knew what it cost my father to admit that. "What we have to decide now is whether we kill him now or wait and play the long game." As he finished his sentence another flurry of messages came through. His face fell and I swear that he aged ten years right in front of my face. "We may have another problem." He glanced up, meeting my anxious gaze. "I asked Paul to check if Denali made any calls after he was contacted." My ears pricked up, what other fucker was in on this? "He called your mother. They talked for about twenty minutes which I presume was the length of time he was in the car. Who is his driver at present?" He directed the question directly to Emmett, perhaps fearing my reaction to this news.

"He's supposed to use Marcus," said Emmett, "but lately he has been choosing to drive himself or use one of his nephews from Aunt Tia's side. I asked him to use the proper protection detail, he does for a few days then he gets sloppy again." Emmett shrugged his shoulders as if to say what was I supposed to do.

"You should have brought that to Edward or me," said Carlisle, shaking his head. "If you were concerned I would have had a quiet word." I kind of understood where Emmett was coming from. The protection detail was supposed to keep our guys safe from outside threats. How could any of us predicted that the threat would come from the inside?

"Well at least we know why he was doing that now," said Alice, clearly trying to avoid the start of a fruitless blame game. "He's been driving himself when he wanted to meet with someone secretly." She stood up and started to pace. "I'll kill him he won't see me coming, if any of you three get close to him he will be on guard."

"This isn't the fucking Godfather Alice, we don't need to sacrifice you," Emmett laughed but there was a serious undertone to his voice. Alice didn't make a comment like that flippantly; she was obviously already weighing it up in her mind.

"He's right Alice, I know you would do that for us but really you don't need to. I could have him taken out professionally and he wouldn't even see it coming." My father's persona as former head of the family was coming out of retirement, I could feel it. Normally this would have made me dread a power struggle but I welcomed any help I could get at this stage. I just wanted Isabella home in one piece and not hating me.

"None of you need to worry I'll deal with it," I said firmly, making their three heads swivel towards the sound of my voice simultaneously. "I'm the head of the family and believe me if he is even remotely responsible for this happening to Isabella I'll kill him myself, slowly."

"What do you want to do about your mother?" Carlisle asked. Suddenly she was my mother and no longer his wife.

"We need to find out what the fuck is going on before we make any decisions. If she is in this with him they will face the consequences together." Everyone looked solemn but they were just as aware as I was of the punishments passed down for plotting against the family. It was going to be even worse if it was my mother and my godfather that were somehow trying to take Isabella out. I just couldn't comprehend what they were trying to achieve.

Alice suddenly got up and started pacing again, I knew her well enough to know she was turning something over in her mind. She would ask when she was ready. It didn't take long.

"What can they be trying to achieve? What possible outcome can they see having Isabella arrested?"

"She hasn't been arrested Alice they have taken her in to talk about me," I sighed. "By the sound of what they were saying on your answer phone message they are going to try and tell her I've been lying to her and leading another life away from here, that of this person Edward Masen."

"It's just a fishing trjp then? That still doesn't explain what they think the outcome will be." Alice stated.

"The way your mother has been acting lately I'm wondering if she really does believe she is capable of taking over as the Boss. If she does she has to remove you Edward, now whether that's permanently or just temporarily that in itself is an act of treason that would cause all out war. If she has any sense she will need to get someone else to do it." I could see the cogs in my father's brain turning as he tried to plot in his mind the different scenarios.

"We need Whitlock here, "Emmett shook his head as if all of the possibilities were too much for him, "This is his speciality. Bring him up to speed and see what he comes out with." "Back the fuck up here," I growled. "When did we agree to let an outsider in?" I stood up to see if I had any scotch left anywhere.

"Edward you doubt my husband once more and I will grant mother's wish myself!"

I sat back down and tried to make a decision. Bringing Jasper in could help. I knew that Emmett was right, Jasper could work through situations faster than anyone I knew. He covered areas I took hours to get to in the first few minutes. I still couldn't see clearly what they were trying to achieve and until I could I couldn't prepare and get ready to fight it.

"Okay I had a meeting with him now so let's get the venue changed to here and we can bring him up to date. " I nodded at Alice and she was on the phone instantly telling him to come and meet us. Hopefully he would be able to see another side of the events.

BPOV

I was at a loss as to what to tell these guys. I genuinely knew nothing so what did they expect me to say?

"Miss Swan I am swiftly losing my temper with you," said Jarvis. "I have been very patient over these last few months. I've kept my distance even after we drove you into Mr Masen's home, now you must have an insight into his business dealings." He stood leaning over the table in a classic pose trying to intimidate me. His hands were splayed out on the table as he took his weight on his wrists. I wondered if I could reach his pen and stab him through the top of his hand but then reasoned with myself that it might upset the proceedings slightly.

"What do you want me to say?" I had been calm up until now but indignance crept into my tone. "Do you want me to tell you that we lie in bed every night and he gives me chapter and verse on his dealings during the day? Jarvis stood straight and literally rubbed his hands together. I heard laughter from behind the mirror confirming what I'd known all along we were being filmed and taped. Jarvis sent a filthy look at the mirror as he got up and walked towards it. As he stood with his back to me I wasn't sure whether he was speaking to me or them.

"Are you telling me that I have got this totally wrong and that he has told you nothing? Tell me Miss Swan what are you doing every night in that big house if you aren't talking to one another?"

He turned to look at me and I just couldn't resist the obvious answer to his question.

"He's been fucking me into the middle of next week most nights, the man is insatiable," I tossed a sweet smile toward the mirror, playing to the hidden audience, "not that I'm complaining, apparently his ex wife and him weren't that compatible in the bedroom department, as you pointed out yourself earlier she is a bit of a slapper by all accounts, so believe me I'm more than reaping the benefits of that at the moment" I looked at Mr Denali aware that I'd just insulted his daughter but his face was blank. He mopped at the sweat still beading on his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Can I please leave now I have to get to Forks to arrange a funeral?" I had finally run out of adrenalin and bravado. I just wanted to get to Forks and see for myself what had happened to Charlie. I wanted to cry and shout and scream. I wanted to ask Edward why he would do that, what Charlie had ever done to him. I couldn't bear to think of him alone on some cold funeral home slab with a tag around his toe. Poor Charlie, my Dad deserved so much better. As I tried to erase the picture in my mind a thought crept into it.

"Do you know why Edward had my dad killed?" My tone was crisp. "What could he have possibly gained by killing my father?"

Both Jarvis and Denali looked stunned and then at each other, they obviously hadn't expected me to ask that question.

"He must have had a reason," I continued, pressing the advantage. "If someone informed for you did they know why?"

Again, neither of them actually answered me but I could see they were trying to come up with something plausible.

"We believe that he was afraid you had passed something on to your father that he had told you," Jarvis finally revealed looking at Denali for confirmation. That struck me as odd and I again wondered who Denali was actually here to help.

"Well I can assure you, that is so far off the mark with that it's laughable. Charlie didn't even like talking about Edward after you guys called him that first time. He was embarrassed that his daughter was shacking up with the local gangster." As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I'd made a huge mistake. Jarvis's face lit up and he walked back to the table.

"So you've known all along that Cullen is a gangster then?" Jarvis was back leaning over the table trying to intimidate me.

"I had an inkling something about him was different but as I've told you all along he has never discussed anything with me, now please let me leave or charge me with something." I stood up suddenly and narrowly missed clashing heads with Jarvis.

"Sit back down Miss Swan you are not going anywhere." Denali grabbed my arm and pulled me backwards. I'd been sat so long my legs were starting to cramp and as he pulled me back I stumbled, only just regaining my balance enough to collapse into the chair again."I'd like to call my attorney now." My voice quivered. I wasn't going to cry, I wasn't going to cry.

"You have your attorney here Miss Swan," Jarvis said pointing at Denali.

I sat back on the chair and crossed my arms in front of me. I'd had enough. In fact I'd had more than enough and I wanted out of here now "He isn't my attorney. If you are going to keep me here I want my own attorney, one that I've actually chosen. Get me Jasper Whitlock. I'm not saying another word until I speak to him."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I'm not sure if I'm meant to say anything yet but I'm so excited, I've made it into round 2 so please please continue voting when the site opens again on Sunday,

As promised an outtake will post this weekend as a thank you xx


	42. Chapter 42

TNMC Outtake

La Perla

As promised an outtake to say thank you for all the voting you did to get me through round one. I'm up against some fab fics so hope you are still able to pop over and vote some more polls are open until this weekend.

BPOV

I had been living with Edward for two weeks and had been pleasantly surprised by how smoothly things had been working, subject to some minor adjustments and concessions. I'm not sure what I'd expected but we rubbed along quite nicely. As long as I had Quil or one of the other guys with me Edward was relaxed enough to let me get on with my everyday life. I helped him interview for a permanent housekeeper. A very exclusive agency sent three people over the same afternoon, once they had been assured that the ex Mrs Cullen was not going to be the employer, and a wonderful English lady started the next day. She was going to take care of the house and the laundry but I told her that while I was there I would still do the majority of the cooking. She couldn't hide her surprise but was too well trained to comment on it. It would feel weird having somebody do things that I was used to doing myself but Edward had convinced me that the house was too big and my time too precious. When he held me tight and found a use for that extra time my complaints had died away. Food shopping was a breeze when you just ordered everything on line. It was even better having someone put it away for you. I have to admit I could get used to this life. It had been awkward the first time I had found the discreet Mrs B ironing my clothes however she waved me away and the items really were pristine when she finished with them Life was definitely different on the other side. I had also recently discovered that Edward had accounts at half the shops in the city and I had access to all of them if I wanted anything. I didn't but he had offered and given me the okay to order anything I needed. I didn't feel right doing that. I earn my own money and look after myself. Although part of me was craving a spending spree on high end bags and shoes I was waiting for the insurance claim to be processed. It seems Emmett's cleanup crew did such a good job the assessor was having a hard time believing there had ever actually been a break in. Thankfully someone had taken photographs so I was hoping that would eventually be enough.

In the meantime I'd had to give in and go clothes shopping. No matter how many times I'd washed my clothes and had the few good pieces I had dry cleaned I couldn't get over the suspicion whoever was in my home could have done anything on them. Emmett was no help, all he would say was that it was better for me if I just replaced everything. After informing him in no uncertain terms that we didn't all shit money I had to give in and dip into my cruise fund. Edward offered to pay for everything but I just couldn't let him, I wasn't ready for that yet. The weirdest thing was that no matter how many times I checked, nothing was missing from the apartment. I had no jewellery to speak of; anything of value was with my Dad in his attic. My laptops both work and the ancient brick I used for personal stuff were left untouched. Whoever broke in must have been seriously pissed off at the lack of items that could be quickly fenced. I was fast coming to the realisation that maybe the break in wasn't about anything other than scaring me.

Rain spattered steadily against the window of the Den. I sat under my new snuggly blanket with a steaming cup of hot chocolate cradled between my hands watching the rain pour down. It was not a good day for showing houses. Overcast skies and continual rain made prospective buyers grumpy whether they realised it or not so I tried to avoid showing on days like today. My mind wandered pleasantly as I watched the rain drops race each other down the pane. Last night as I lay wrapped in Edward's arms after a very slow and unusually sensual love making session I had had a revelation; I loved the man. I hadn't told him yet and I had no idea how and when I had come to terms with it myself. I loved Edward Cullen.

The rest of the day turned in to one of those rare days where I managed to do all those things you want to do but never get round to doing leisurely. I gave myself a pedicure and manicure; I shaved everything that needed shaving and managed to balance my cheque book. All my paperwork for the business was done and posted and I'd even started to work on my personal taxes. After one last fraught and totally useless call to the insurance broker I decided to have a soak.

Edward had the most incredible tub. It was big enough for four people, complete with massage jets, coloured lights and a never ending supply of hot water. I'd already used it most nights as I waited for Edward to come home. He tried to make it back for dinner but earlier this week something had happened and he'd been getting in quite late. He always woke me up in a creative way to let me know he was home. No matter how mad I had been he was always forgiven for missing dinner.

I lay back in the tub, bubbles almost to my neck, a glass of wine in hand. I couldn't help but remember the time Emmett had tried to get me to go to dinner with Edward and I had been in my tub at home. It still surprised me that I didn't miss my apartment, my own space and anonymity. I loved being here with Edward. I loved my life at the moment and I was still able to keep my curiosity under control about his other 'businesses'. I'd expected him to show up covered up in blood but he had laughed when I told him that and assured me that was just in the movies. I wasn't sure whether that meant he didn't kill people or that he cleaned up somewhere else but when I asked he would kiss me and tell me I knew what I had to do for him to talk about it. He was talking about marriage but he hadn't even mentioned that he loved me. I was pretty sure he did, his actions and his eyes told me he did but he wasn't ready to tell me yet.

As I lay soaking I could hear movement out in the bedroom. I stilled my body, my heart racing. Nobody had the new access key to the room other than Edward and Emmett. I knew Emmett wouldn't come in without announcing himself so it seemed Green Eyes was home early for once. I stood to get out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my body, my hair was up in a messy bun on the top of my head so I walked through to the bedroom to say hello. The sight that met me made me catch my breath. Luckily I caught the sound and stood very still as I watched him. He had started to get undressed, probably planning on getting in the tub with me, something he mentioned he'd love to do. His jacket was slung over the chair as was his shirt and his vest, he was naked from the waist up. I could see the smattering of bronze hairs on his chest and the definition of his abs. I don't know when he got time to work out but he obviously did. I leant against the wall just inside the bathroom as I watched him pick up the lingerie I'd already placed on our bed.

He had promised we would go out for dinner tonight. I wasn't convinced he would make it back going on his recent track record but here he was. On the bed laid out was a pair of silk hold ups, my La Perla one piece and a new short and tight little black dress. It was second hand, via a high end dress agency I often used, but I think it was one of those dresses someone had bought but never worn. It fit me like a glove and at $200 in it was an absolute steal. I planned to finish it off with the one pair of death trap heels I had. He was so engrossed in the feel of the material he had no idea I was there. I watched as he ran his fingers over the silk and lace and then brought it up to his face so he could feel it against his cheek. His other hand went to the front of his trousers and he palmed the growing tent that was forming. As he started to unbutton the front of his trousers I couldn't contain myself. I wanted to watch if he was going to stroke himself but then again I could always help him. His head moved slightly in my direction and I knew he was aware I was stood watching him. He stopped moving for a split second before me made the obvious decision to carry on. He unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the floor before reaching inside his tight black Armani boxers. The groan that escaped his throat went straight to my clit and I stood silently watching him as his hand moved slowly inside the tight material.

What to do? What to do? Join him, help him or just watch?

I couldn't decide so I stood frozen just watching. His hand never increased in speed, he just seemed to be leisurely stroking himself. He was still holding my lingerie but his eyes were fixed on the hold ups. I knew he had a thing for my boobs but was he also into the whole stockings and garters? I knew the bodysuit had detachable garters; I'd kept them so I could soon reattach them if I wanted.

"Isabella, get in here," he said, without looking at me.

As I walked into the bedroom I made sure to walk past him and around the bed so I could sit on the edge and face him. As I sat down I let the towel I was wearing fall open. This was bold to me. Don't get me wrong I'm no prude but before Edward most of my previous sex had been in bed at night. None of my previous partners had been very adventurous.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he continued stroking himself.

"Well I was going to get dressed ready for us to go out to dinner, but if you have a better idea I'm all ears." I opened my legs slightly giving him what I hoped was an excellent view.

"Don't let me stop you Isabella," his voice was heavy and full of lust but I was slightly confused. He threw my one piece at me but continued the slow pace of stroking himself. Not quite sure what was happening I stood and strode naked across to the dresser that had turned up for me to use. It matched his other furniture and looked like it was here to stay. I reached in to get the garter straps and walked back to the bed. In the time it had taken to do that Edward had discarded his boxers and was stood watching my every move. Now I had a perfect view of what was going on with him. He was erect and leaking, I could see the per cum glistening on his finger tips as every so often he would run his fingers over the head and squeeze himself. I made a mental note to remember that for the next time I had him in my hands. I slowly picked up the soft lingerie and stepped into it. It was a tight fit so I tried to wriggle in a becoming manner as I pulled it on and raised the straps over my shoulders. As I reached for the garters and attached them I could hear his breathing pick up. I guided one on of the silk stockings into position and fastened the clips, making sure he could see everything. As I reached for the second stocking I stole a glance at him, his eyes and mouth were wide open and his hand was moving at the speed I knew meant he was close. The shiver that raced through me as I realised the effect I was having on him made me shudder, my clit was tingling and I could feel the wetness already soaking my gusset. I clipped the second set of garters into place and stepped into the shoes that were at the side of the bed ready.

"So, do I need to put my dress on?" I asked, as I watched his head go back and a stream of cum shoot out of his throbbing cock. He muttered something I didn't catch and groaned as though he was in real pain. As he slumped forward towards the bed he caught himself at the last minute, bringing his arms in front of him. He stayed in that position, hands supporting his weight on the bed, bent forward at the waist. He was breathing heavily and I could see his shoulders raising and falling, the sweat glistening from his exertion. I couldn't help myself, I moved towards him and kissed his shoulder, standing close enough to him that he would be able to sense me but not actually touching him. One kiss became two and soon I was stood behind him kissing his back. It was hard and muscular and the added slight saltiness of his sweat just made the taste dance on my tongue. I really wanted to turn him around and push him down on the bed. I wanted to kiss his chest and his stomach and tease him until he was ready to go again and then I wanted to taste him on my tongue. The thought made me clench my legs together, desperate for some pressure on my clit. My hands snaked round to touch his stomach, I wanted to run my hands over his abs. As I kissed his back and stroked the taught skin on his stomach I couldn't help but make my way down. His recovery time was good. I knew from recent experience that he wouldn't be ready just yet but that with a little help he wouldn't take long.

"Stop," he gasped, grabbing my hand. He pulled it hard, bringing me from behind him to his side. He stood up and turned sitting down on the edge of the bed leaving me towering over him. "You know, you promised me I could spank you…" The lust in his eyes was unmistakeable, he wanted this, he really wanted it. This was a big deal for me, I'd never been into any rough play before but Edward definitely liked it on the wilder side. He hadn't done anything yet that was too much, in fact everything had been incredible, in that split second I decided to take a leap of faith and very slowly I leant forward until I was lying across his lap.

"Oh fuck, fucking hell, really, you are really going to let me do this, oh fuck, fuck, fuck Isabella I really lo..." he stopped before he could finish what I thought he was going to say.

He loved me; Edward Cullen had just almost told me he loved me. Before I could think anymore about what he'd said I felt his palm on my ass cheek. He was stroking each cheek alternately, I couldn't decide if he was just playing with my ass or if he was trying to decide which cheek to strike first. "Isabella I'm going to warm up your cheeks first with a few light swats, if this gets too much tell me and I will stop instantly okay?"

I nodded so he knew I understood and braced myself. The first few were almost pleasurable as they pushed my clit against his thigh. Most of my ass cheeks were exposed because of the high cut thong back of the bodysuit, I could feel the warmth as he continued to just add a little pressure with each new swat.

"Isabella does the bottom of this underwear come undone or should I just rip it open?" His fingers started to explore between my cheeks and down to my now drenched pussy lips.

"Don't you dare rip it, this cost me a shit ton of money!" I gasped. "There are little poppers that pull open gently." I tried to push myself up but he clamped me down.

"Did you just use a swear word Isabella? My my, you are being a naughty girl aren't you?" Three things seemed to happen all at once. The poppers on my bodysuit opened, two of his fingers slipped inside me and as I registered what was happening he slapped my ass with such force that I cried out loud and immediately knew I would have a hand print on my skin.

His thumb stroked my clit as his fingers pumped in and out of me, how the hell he was managing to do all that with one hand? I could feel my orgasm growing as he added a third finger and pressed his thumb against my clit for a few seconds. Just as I thought I was going to explode he brought his hand down sharply to smack my ass again. The noise was probably more shocking than the actual pain, my brain was so scrambled it wasn't sure what it should be feeling. This seemed to carry on for a while, each time my orgasm grew to a point where it was ready to explode he would spank me and I would have an almost mini orgasm before it started to build again. All I was holding onto was the fact that when I did come it was going to be out of this world.

"Isabella I could do this all night, your ass is an amazing colour and it's so warm, tell me to stop before I go too far."

I was still across his lap, he had three fingers inside me that were rubbing my pussy walls and his thumb pressed against my clit exerting a constant pressure, I didn't know my own name never mind the words to tell him to stop. All I wanted to do was come.

"Oh for fucks sake Edward, I need to come, please just do something, anything, I need to come so badly please baby something," I pleaded.

"Oh Isabella, do you know that's the first time you've called me baby? I think I like that, I love being your baby." with that he pumped his fingers rapidly in and out of me as he rained several blows down on my ass. The resulting orgasm was everything I was expecting. My mind went blank as I let myself just feel and the sensations washed over me. The sensations that coursed through my body were unlike anything I'd ever experienced before and I knew I was hooked. Dinner could wait, I needed him inside me again and I needed it now.


	43. Chapter 43

TNMC

Chapter 41

BPOV

We seemed to have reached an impasse. I was quickly realising I'd thrown a spanner in the works by asking for an attorney. I could tell from the shuffling sounds in the interview room and the glances Jarvis was throwing at the mirror that they hadn't anticipated me asking.

"You have an attorney here Miss Swan," the smug grin was back on Jarvis's face, "we do not need to get you another one and I think you already realise what we do here in this unit is specialised. We don't have to abide by the normal rules." The bastard really though that he could placate me.

"I am beginning to think you have really under estimated me Mr Volturi," my tone was crisp, clear, abnormally loud so that the people behind the glass could hear every word. "I am a cop's daughter and I know no matter what you claim to be that you still have to operate within a set of guidelines. Now, unless you have managed to whisk me off to Guantanamo Bay without me noticing, we are on United States soil so you have to grant me the right to an attorney." "You have a fucking attorney sat next to you!" Jarvis slapped the table with his hands. The noise was deafening in the small room, both from his shouting and his hands hitting the table. I tried not to laugh, I don't know whether it was the nervous energy and the adrenalin or whether I'd just got to a point of not caring, but it was tickling me to the point of having to try and keep my grin under control.

"Well we can soon sort that out," I stated as I turned to Mr Denali "You're fired as my attorney. I didn't ask for you to come here. I don't know how the fuck you found out I was even here." A hysterical giggle escaped my mouth. "I don't even know if you can practice law!" His face was a picture as he looked between me and Jarvis. It was almost comical as his head kept moving to look at both of us in turn. I had a vision of him watching a tennis match as I put my hand across my mouth to prevent a further giggle escaping. If I didn't get my hysteria under control I would be a rocking, cackling mess in a moment.

"Enough!" Jarvis screamed as he slapped the table once more.

"Agent Volturi or whatever the fuck your name actually is." I turned to look at the mirror. "And you people listening behind the mirror, please take note that I have just fired the attorney which you provided. I want my own attorney." I was now pissed, seriously pissed. "GET ME JASPER WHITLOCK!" I screamed as I stood up and leant forward, mirroring Jarvis. We stood looking at each other just a few inches apart, I could feel his breath on my face as his breathing seemed to pick up and his eyes glinted as the twisted smug reappeared.

"My my Miss Swan you are a feisty one aren't you?" He made no attempt to hide the fact he was adjusting the situation in the front of his pants. The sick bastard was getting off on this. I sat back down, moving my chair away from Denali and crossed my arms. That was me done, no more talking until I was either released or Jasper turned up.

The next hour was torture. The inside of both my cheeks and my bottom lip were all bleeding as I repeatedly bit down on all of them to stop myself from talking. The stories about Edward were getting more and more graphic as they painted him as everything from a child snatching people trafficker to a multi billionaire drug baron who had pushers in every school yard in the country. I didn't understand who Edward Masen was and why Edward would use another name but if he did then I'm sure he would have a reason for it. The more I thought about it, it actually made sense, he could be Cullen in the legitimate world and Masen in the illegal side. It would also explain why I had never heard the name before. As I watched Jarvis descend into name calling and desperation I began to question the crime scene photo of my Dad. I couldn't see their faces, could it be staged? Could it be photo shopped? Where they desperate enough to get me to talk they would manufacture something like this? The more I looked at the images they had conveniently left for me to keep glancing at, the more I realised how many times I'd seen Harry asleep in that position. He would bring his cap down over this face, lie his head back on the old lounger he took on every trip with him and have 'forty winks.' The one thing I couldn't work out was how they had got my Dad in the picture. I settled once more as I let myself hope that the picture was photo shopped and Charlie was actually on duty sitting chatting to Janice the dispatcher because everywhere was quiet. My mood brightened and I was determined more than ever to sit these people out.

"I need a bathroom break." My voice must have startled them because they both looked at me and Jarvis stopped speaking mid sentence. I seized the moment. "I also want a cup of coffee and a sandwich please. I'm hungry." I had no idea what he had been saying, his words now blended into a seamless stream of white noise. Denali's eyelids seemed heavy, as if even he was struggling to keep tuned in to the conversation. "I'm sorry Miss Swan," he said finally, "we have no catering facilities here. We can get you a cup of coffee but unfortunately we have no female agents here that could escort you to the bathroom." Jarvis looked once more at the mirror.

"You really haven't thought this through much have you agent." I laughed. "I need the bathroom and unless you want me to leave a pool of menstrual blood all over me and the chair I suggest you let me use it." As I expected like any typical man the first mention of the time of the month and he crumbled. He turned to the mirror and made a sort of circular motion with his hand. Thirty seconds later the door opened and an agent I hadn't seen before walked in.

"Thompson here will escort you to the bathroom."

"I need my purse." Luckily I always have tampons in there so I was covered if they checked. I was counting on the fact he wouldn't just hand me a tampon because if luck was on my side I had something in my purse that could help me.

Jarvis opened my purse and had a quick rummage, I held my breath as he started to open the numerous pockets within pockets my purse had. It was a really nice tote bag but if he wanted to check every pocket we were going to be here a while.

"I have to go NOW!" I tried to distract him before he got to the inside pocket.

He threw my purse at me, a look of disgust on his face and I hurried out of the room. I tried to take in my surroundings but unfortunately the bathroom was literally just across the corridor. I opened the door and the smell of ammonia hit me, this was definitely a men's restroom.

"Don't you have a different one I can use? I really need a sanitary bin." I asked the agent that was accompanying me.

"No sorry this is all we have," his face flushed. Clearly agent school didn't teach them to deal with menstrual hostages. "You'll just have to make do." He pushed me into the small smelly room and closed the door.

I quickly opened my purse and went to the inside pocket in the middle section. When Paul had upgraded my phone weeks ago I'd kept my trusty little iphone 4 charged and on me just in case. I hadn't used it in weeks, having been totally swayed by the new iphone 10 Paul had presented me with. I quickly turned it on, turning the volume down so no one would hear my sending a message. I sent my first text to Edward

 **SEND JASPER URGENTLY THIS IS AN ILLEGAL HOLD. DO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM?**

I copied in Alice hoping she would also see the message. I followed it up with a message I was praying would be answered.

 **DAD IF YOU GET THIS MESSAGE PLEASE TEXT ME BACK URGENTLY.**

I knew my time was short and I hoped that I would receive a reply before I had to go back in. I flushed the toilet and ran the water in the sink. There was no soap but at least there were paper towels. Just as I was getting ready to go back out there was a rapid knocking on the door. "Miss Swan we need you back in the interview room please."

"I'll be out in a minute." I perched on the edge of the toilet lid desperately wishing for a response from either message. I couldn't stall any longer so I turned the phone back off and buried it back inside the pocket within another pocket. Hopefully he would let me keep my purse this time.

The situation in the interview room had changed somewhat when I returned. Denali was gone as was Jarvis and a new face was sat waiting for me.

"Miss Swan my name is Special Agent Call, I'll be taking over from Agent Volturi to continue the interview." Agent Call was a young man, probably straight out of the academy, he was definitely Native American and I wondered if this was another angle to get at me because Harry was Native American.

"I'm originally from your neck of the woods Miss Swan," he smiled at me, classic rapport building. "I grew up on the reservation La Push just outside Forks." He looked at the photo and for a second I wondered if he actually knew my dad and Harry.

"Do you know them?" I had to know

"No Miss Swan I've been gone a long time. I know of them obviously but I can't say I know them." This was horseshit, La Push was a small community and everybody knew Harry.

He must have thought we would bond because of our past but all he did was go over every point Jarvis had already covered. My silence wasn't even noticed for the first fifteen minutes because he hardly even drew breath.

"Nothing has changed Agent Call," I cut in eventually. "I want my attorney and I'm not speaking to you until he gets here."

EPOV

"He's on his way Edward," said Alice. "I needed him so he slipped away to meet me but we missed each other because I realised I had the answer phone message." She was trying to explain why Jasper had been here one minute and gone the next. I'm organising a war council and my right hand man is nowhere to be found. I bit my tongue on the thought that I hadn't even wanted to include him at the beginning, choosing to only trust my immediate family.

As he finally made it into my office he was his usual uncoordinated self. He had papers spilling out of his case as well as the pockets of his jacket. His laptop was in another bag that seemed to have half a sandwich and a neck tie spilling out of it.

"Okay I'm here," he said, "no thanks to my beautiful but insistent wife. Could you bring me up to date?" He cleared and righted the upturned occasional table that used to be at the side of the large chesterfield couch. He used a book from his case to level up the broken leg before placing his open laptop on it.

"So where the fuck did you go?" said Emmett. "One minute you were on the phone the next you were gone?" Emmett asked the question before I had chance.

"I was called away," he said looking directly at Alice.

"Called away?" I growled. "My Isabella is missing, what the fuck is more important than that you piece of shit?" I was up and out of my seat ready to blow his brains out.

"He was coming to fuck me!" Alice interjected, a huge smile on her face.

Carlisle coughed and covered his mouth with his handkerchief, no doubt trying to cover a laugh.

"You fucked off from an important meeting to get your fucking leg over and with my sister at that?" This guy really did have a death wish.

"Oh for fuck's sake Edward chill out will you?" said Alice, still grinning but blushing slightly. "We're trying to get pregnant and I'm ovulating at the moment so I needed him to come and do the business, we have a very small window." Blunt as ever. So much so that Emmett was having trouble breathing as he tried to keep his laughing under control.

"Any other fucker would be dead by now, you do know that don't you?" I looked at Jasper.

"Oh behave big bad brother," said Alice, firmly. "Seth and Emmett would be dead several times over if Bella hadn't stepped in. You never actually shoot anyone you care about, so don't even bother to threaten."

I very nearly shot Emmett just for the hell of it, but I needed him up and about at the moment and I knew his special skills would be coming in handy with some very disgruntled senators over the next few months.

I looked at Carlisle. I didn't need or want his approval I just needed to know he agreed with me, and that I had made the correct decision all those weeks ago bringing Jasper into my inner circle. He nodded slightly and a small smile played on his lips. He knew exactly what I was asking even though a word never passed my lips.

I quickly bought Jasper up to date with everything that had happened and explained what we wanted him to do. He was way ahead of us and even before we finished I could already see he was sketching out some sort of chart that mapped everything out. Just as I was going to ask him to start explaining things my phone chimed. I looked down at the screen to see a text from Isabella.

 **SEND JASPER URGENTLY THIS IS AN ILLEGAL HOLD. DO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM?**

"What does she mean an illegal hold?" Alice asked as I realised I had read the text out loud.

"I'm presuming she hasn't been arrested, they are just questioning her?" Jasper asked, in the same calm, slightly distracted tone that he might use to discuss sandwich fillings. "We don't really know, but I can't see what they can arrest her for, can you?" Emmett asked.

We all shook our heads and for once the office was quiet except for the furious typing Jasper seemed to be doing as he simultaneously texted, typed and flicked through a large text book he seemed to have conjured up from somewhere.

"Carlisle can you call the Governor and inform him we will be suing the state for $55,000,000 as soon as Isabella is released. If he needs me to quote which law articles cover the imprisonment of innocent citizens in unlicensed premises without legal representation I can".

"But they are a new team put together specially," I reminded him.

"It doesn't matter," he waved away my words. If what he was saying didn't sound so good I might have shot him just for dismissing me like that. "They can't just take her and keep her in some special unit, they still have to follow the laws of the land. I expect they are counting on her being docile and that she won't question them." Jasper explained.

"They are in for a shock then aren't they," Emmett laughed, "I bet Bella is leading them a right song and dance."

I hoped that Emmett was right. My stomach lurched, worry and fear grasping it yet again. I just really hoped that she was okay.


	44. Chapter 44

TNMC

Authors Note

I have several messages from readers complaining this is all taking too long and that I should get a move on. Sorry if you feel that but it's another two chapters after this one until Bella actually gets out of the interrogation. So if you don't want to read anymore give it a couple of weeks.

Chapter 42

EPOV

There was a frenzy of activity all of a sudden; Jasper flicking between his laptop and a huge ancient text book, Carlisle on the phone demanding to speak to the Governor, Alice talking to some lawyer Jasper had asked her to call who dealt specifically with cases of citizens held illegally. I sat back and watched for a moment as my family pulled together around me. Emmett was organising the first 'hit' against a Senator in the next State. The poor guy was going to be dealt with first as he had led the canvassing to obtain funding for this new venture. It had taken just four phone calls for Carlisle to obtain the list of every Senator who had backed the secret bill to start the new task force. Once he had this he had highlighted the ones who were on our payroll. There were just three who had voted in favour but he was more disgusted at the ones who had voted no and still not had the balls to inform him what was happening.

As I sat I started to think about my Mother and what she had to do with all this. If she was seriously trying to overthrow me she had to have already thought of the consequences. No one would have started down this road without considering the possible outcome if their plans failed. My body shivered involuntarily, the proverbial portent of somebody walking on my grave, as I realised that if it was her I would have to eliminate her. I couldn't use the word kill. Killing was cold blooded and merciless and no matter what she had done, she was my mother, she gave birth to me and raised me, in a fashion. Could I look her in the eye and pull the trigger? My gut told me no but my head told me yes.

"We have an in," announced Jasper, sweeping papers off the table and into his bag in one swift movement. Where was this grace normally? "What the fuck do you mean an in? I demanded. I wanted her out, what wasn't clear?

"It didn't take much pressure at all," he replied, doing up the top button of his shirt and straightening his tie. As he pulled himself to his full height he suddenly looked every inch the corporate lawyer, "between the very real threat of a huge law suit and a call from my colleagues at the humane society informing the legal department they knew Isabella was being held illegally," he smiled, but there was not a hint of smugness to it. "Well, let's just say the Governor made the correct decision. He is contacting the agencies involved now to tell them to release her immediately."

"Agencies?" I asked, noting the plural.

"Yes," he nodded, smoothing his suit and picking up his laptop bag, ready to go. "It seems this task force is some sort of multi agency operation. This is their first case. It seems while you were in the top five but it wasn't until they knew about Isabella they decided to make you the test case." I started open mouthed at Whitlock. He'd been in my office less than 15 minutes and he had already learnt more about what was going on than the rest of our combined talents put together.

"You think they will release her?" I asked, casting around on the desktop looking for my phone. I needed Seth so we could go and pick her up.

"They will, but I guess it will take an hour or two for it to filter through all the layers. We just have to hope it actually gets passed onto Volturi. If Isabella is talking I can imagine passing the message to stop the interview will get lost somewhere for as long as possible."

Why did he have to say that? Hot white anger flashed through my skull. Why did he have to insinuate my Isabella would talk? My gun was out of its holster and pressed against his forehead before I even registered what I was doing.

"Don't you ever fucking insinuate my Isabella would grass on me!" I screamed. "Apart from the fact she knows fuck all, she loves me! She would never do anything to harm me." His eyes looked back at me, guarded but calm.

Before I could withdraw my gun and put it away I felt a sharp pain in my foot, an agonising, searing pain as I felt the bones in the top of my foot bend. I looked down to see my sister's stiletto heel embedded in the top of my foot.

"What the fuck?" Luckily the leather of my brogues had stopped the heel embedding into the skin, but it was a close call.

"I've told you," Alice said calmly, although she couldn't mask the fire in her eyes, "don't you ever fucking pull a gun on my husband again." She calmly took her heel off of my foot, freeing me.

It was Emmett's laughing that brought my attention back to the room. We could have been kids again, Alice causing mischief, Emmett egging her on and laughing while I was the one who usually got the blame. Carlisle looked on disapprovingly but like when we were kids he wasn't sure who should be chastised.

"Now children, let's not get distracted," he said, using his usual tactic of trying to unite us rather than pick out one of us. "We have to go and collect my soon to be daughter in law." We all nodded, suddenly united by the task in hand again. Jasper brushed the front of his suit, as if dusting away some stray cookie crumbs rather than recovering from having a gun in his face. I shook my head a little but a wry smile crept onto my face, that man was so laid back he was almost horizontal.

"Have you have done the deed then?" Emmett asked a huge grin still on his face. I glared at him. Was he really asking me if I'd had actually had sex with Isabella in front of my closest family?

"Said the three little words?" he elaborated, "told her how you feel about her? Been all kissy kissy and snuggly?"

"I have no fucking idea what you are talking about Emmett and I really don't think I want to know," for some reason that question felt even more intimate than asking if I had made love to her. "Shut the fuck up and let's get on with the serious business." I was roaring by the end of the sentence and I had to admit it was loud even to my ears.

"I think you'll find he's just asking if you've told Isabella you love her," said Alice, "as you seem so certain of the fact she loves you." She was waiting for an answer but it was one I couldn't give her. I hadn't told Isabella, she hadn't told me but I knew. I knew I loved her and I knew she loved me.

BPOV

I was getting bored and stiff from sitting in the same position and I wondered again how office workers managed to sit at a desk all day. My back ached, my bum was numb and I had done so much work on my pelvic floor muscles I could probably open bottle tops with them. Agent Call had given up and Volturi was back. Denali was still here but he was definitely asleep in the chair, no longer able to contain the snores. He periodically woke himself up, took note of what was happening in the room and went back to sleep. No one was taking any notice of the fact I'd fired him and it was quite obvious he was in on what was happening here. Clearly I was the only one who was going to get me out of here.

Common sense told me they couldn't hold me for too long. Edward would raise hell trying to find me. I tried not to dwell for too long on whether that was because he cared about me or simply because he was frightened about what he thought I was saying. I had two options from what I could see. I could either sit here and try and wait it out or I could get creative. To get creative meant I had to give them something, anything so they thought I had information they could use. I racked my brains wondering what I could use. It had to be something that couldn't harm Edward or his family in anyway but was juicy enough to tempt them. As I sat thinking the only thing I actually knew was that Edward and Emmett had led James Hunter away from the penthouse that day. I knew I couldn't give them that titbit as it would place them both as the last people who saw him alive. I was stumped. I knew nothing. Edward had been so careful. I hadn't met any of his colleagues, he didn't talk about anything to do with his work, legal or illegal. I racked my brains and all I could come up with was either give them the plot of some movie that would sound juicy but collapse under scrutiny, or ask them what they actually wanted from me.

"This has gone on long enough." My voice sounded loud but confident, shattering the quiet that had settled over the interview room. Denali woke up with a start and I couldn't help but laugh at the pool of drool that had settled on his shirt front.

"What's happening?" Denali gasped, before he caught himself and abruptly shut up. I watched him as he sat up straighter and ran his hands over his greased back hair making sure it was in place. Finally he used his handkerchief to wipe his brow and his mouth before settling his gaze on me.

"It should be quite clear to all of you by now that I know nothing. In fact, sitting here as made me realise just how much I don't know about Mr Cullen or Masen or whatever his name is. I'm sorry I can't help you but maybe I could in the future. What is it you actually want from me?"

I looked Volturi directly in the eyes and kept my breathing as calm as I possibly could. If he knew body language like he should do I was trying to give all the signs I knew that meant I was being open and honest. He was arrogant, I was gambling on the fact that we was so confident in his interrogation technique that he would lean towards this change of heart being genuine and down to him.

"Finally," he said, the smug grin re-emerged. He could underestimate me all he wanted, that would hopefully work in my favour in this scenario. "Now I have your attention Miss Swan let's talk about Edward Cullen." He opened the lap top and started tapping keys before turning the screen to show me. A quick press of a button and a slide show started. There were dozens of pictures of Edward, some with an assortment of women, some with Alice and Emmett and even a few with Carlisle. I noted that there was none with his mother or Tanya.

While I watched the screen, Volturi watched me but I had a good poker face and I just let the images float by. I could tell some of them were recent, in one he had on a tie I'd bought him, another I recognised a suit he had had delivered to the house. The pictures where he was with different women were repeated in the slideshow several times so I would keep getting reminded he'd had a life before me. What Volturi hadn't taken into account was I knew Edward intimately. I knew his hair in some of the pictures was too short to have been taken recently; one of the suits he was wearing had disappeared in the first few weeks we were together. It really suited him and when I'd moved in I'd looked for it but it was nowhere to be found in his closet.

If Volturi was trying to imply Edward was already cheating on me he was onto a loser, I knew Edward loved me and I was secure in that whether he'd actually said the words or not no matter I'd had a wobble earlier, I knew he loved me.

"What about him?" I sat back as the screen started the sequence of photos once again.

"Well what is he like to start with?" A smile spread across his face, signposting that he thought he was going to deliver a killer blow, "we know the man is a ruthless killer who shows no mercy. How do you equate that with the man you sleep with every night?"

Shit that was a hell of a question? How was I going to answer that?

"The man I know is nothing like the person you are trying to portray." I fought the urge to cross my arms across my chest, a tell tale sign of defensiveness. "He is kind and considerate; he loves his family and his close friends. He treats me with respect and he worries about me, you have to know that because you engineered a situation presuming he would take me into his home."

"I can admit Miss Swan we did gamble on the fact you wouldn't want to live at the apartment and you would ask to move in him, we couldn't have hoped for the fact he basically forced you to live with him." Anger coursed through me. This man had stalked me, scared me, broken into my flat and wrecked the place, using me like a pawn to put me in a position where I could gather information on Edward. He was despicable. I fought to control my emotions, got up and walked to the back wall and leant against it.

"He didn't order me," I replied, simply, "anyone who told you otherwise doesn't know Edward at all. I'm interested. Who did supply the information?" I didn't expect him to answer but at least I was leading him in the direction I wanted him.

"It's not important who we got our information from." I didn't miss the quick glance between him and Denali but unfortunately I couldn't see Denali's expression I walked towards the mirror, continuing my pacing. It was the strangest sensation looking in the mirror and seeing myself but knowing whoever was sat the other side of it could see me. I couldn't resist sticking my tongue out and flipping them the finger. Very childish I know but I wanted them to realise I knew they were there. I could hear a ripple of laughter as they acknowledged me. It was muffled but there were definitely two or three people behind there.

"Why don't you tell me who your contact is then I can make sure anything I find out now is passed onto you? In fact seeing as Edward has had my father and my Godfather killed my loyalty to him has been severely tested I really don't have any problem with helping you take him down."

They were both looking at the back of my head. I could see each of their reaction in the mirror and I swear they would have done a fist bump if they thought they could get away with it. I'd never been surer these two were definitely in this together. Volturi allowed himself a glance towards the mirror and clenched his fist, shaking it a couple of times at the mirror. Denali on the other hand pulled out his phone and sent a text message to someone.

"Come and sit down Isabella, we will fill you in with what we need and then we'll get you out of here."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Two things to say, thank you so much to everyone who let me know they had voted for me. I'm so proud to have even been nominated never mind get through the first round. Whatever happens and we won't find out until 18/3 I am very grateful for your support. Thank you.

That being said I'm sorry I have not been able to reply to your reviews this week, had a crap week that resulted in a visit to the doctor but I'm finally on the mend so hopefully I'll be able to reply this week if you have any questions or observations xxxxx


	45. Chapter 45

TNMC

Chapter 43

EPOV

My jaw clenched tightly, sending little sparks, the start of a tension headache, through my skull. We were still trying to find out if the order to release Isabella had made its way to the warehouse yet, but no matter where we tried no one seemed to be able to find the pathway of the instructions. My heart beat wildly in my chest, telling me just to get in the car, drive there and wait outside, reasoning that making clear that we knew where they were should shake the shit out of them and expedite her release. The common sense part of the discussion, led by Whitlock, cautioned playing within the law. He was still bombarding everyone he could think of with calls demanding Isabella's release. Frustration bubbled in my chest, threatening to spill over into an act of violence.

"Boss! " Paul ran towards the office

"What the fuck?"Paul burst into the office, nearly knocking me over. My jaw clenched even tighter, my fists balling into matching shapes. No one came into my office without knocking, never mind waiting for me to give permission for them to come in.

"Denali just sent a text message," he panted, without preamble. "She has agreed to help."

"Who did he send it too?" Carlisle asked. He looked at me, his expression guarded. He knew as well as I did who that text had been sent to.

Paul looked at me, checking whether he could tell the room who Denali was texting. His expression confirmed my worst fears. I nodded for him to tell everyone present, there was no need for secrets..

"He sent the text to Mrs Cullen." I shocked myself, taking a deep breath and staying calm and collected, on the surface at least. Deep down I wasn't really surprised. The practical part of me was glad it was her, it made this colossal fuck up easy to tidy up. There was no extended network for me to have to trace and eliminate, taking time and resources and more than a little creativity to dispose of so many victims. This was going to be clean and easy, my mother, my godfather and that fucker Jarvis or whatever the fuck his name was for having the balls to take my Isabella into that fucking warehouse and holding her there.

I looked across at Emmett and Alice, she was their mother as well as mine and while I had already mentally crossed that line they were going to have to get used to the fact she wasn't going to be around for much longer.

"Okay Paul," I said evenly, "keep me informed of any messages between them, I want to know everything. " I gave him the look, the look everyone knew meant business. He scurried away. Fuck I couldn't go soft now, all I could think about was Isabella laughing at me and telling me 'the look ' didn't work on her. I straightened my face and took a deep breath, pushing a slightly hysterical laugh deep down before it could escape

"As of this moment my mother and Denali are on 24 hour security watch," I said. Alice watched my face closely, perhaps most aware of how close I was to breaking. "I want to know everything she does, everyone she sees and every place she goes. The same goes for Denali, make sure both of their drivers stick to them like glue and no mistakes this time and no excuses. I don't give a shit what you have to tell them, just make sure I knew where they are every second."

A tense calm descended over the office as the five of us sat digesting the news. I needed to make sure my siblings were on board. My father would understand, hell, the cynical part of him would probably welcome the unexpected escape route from the dead marriage. Whitlock wasn't family, he of all people would be able to look rationally at the situation. He eyed me calmly, his silence confirming his acceptance.

"Edward," said Emmett, "I know she is our mother. I know what she is doing is wrong but before you actually condemn her I need conclusive proof." It was Emmett who broke the silence. To be honest I had expected it to be Alice so it took me a few seconds to look up at him. His face was drawn and tired; he looked as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. A spiteful, childish part of me whispered that I was glad that he knew how I felt.

"I know she hasn't been a mom, in the proper sense of the word for a long time," his head dropped, hiding the expression on his face that would match his slightly husky voice. "But deep down I always expected her to come back to us, maybe when one of us made her a grandma or something." I think he was still just processing what he'd heard so I let him talk. I glanced at Alice to make sure she was okay. She was staring at Jasper as he still worked on his lap top, her face was calm and I could tell she was also processing what she'd heard.

"I will provide you both with the proof but I am telling you now if anything happens to Isabella I will kill her with my bare hands." They both nodded but stayed quiet.

BPOV

"If you really think I could get away with wearing any sort of listening device you have severely under estimated Edward." I was trying to dissuade them from their latest plan. They wanted me to wear a pin shaped like a fan that had a listening device implanted in it. "How many times do I have to tell you that he doesn't talk to me about his businesses?"

Jarvis took a deep breath and I could tell he was near breaking point. This particular part of the interview was really not going as he had planned. I think he really did believe I would just agree to anything at this stage.

"What about your daily protection detail? We have spoken to Quil in this very room," his voice lowered, he leaned towards me, "he was very cooperative and far easier to deal with than you are."

"Are you telling me that Quil is your contact?" I snapped. "If he is it would make all of this a lot easier. I spend my day with Quil when I'm out and about." I tried really hard to keep my poker face intact. I couldn't believe Quil was the rat. He had been thoroughly debriefed after he was taken and I hadn't seen him for a while afterwards. Edward was convinced Quil was telling the truth or he wouldn't have let him live never mind look after me every day.

Jarvis tried very hard to be noncommittal. My gut told me he was lying but I filed it away so I could tell Edward he needed to check back with Quil.

"Not only does he know me better than that," I continued, "I wouldn't suddenly start to wear a piece of jewellery he hadn't seen before, the technology that is part of their everyday life is so high tech I wouldn't be surprised if they were able to sweep for listening devices regularly."

Jarvis was getting impatient. So far I'd managed to come up with a good reason why every suggestion he'd come up wouldn't work. While I wanted out of here as soon as possible I wasn't agreeing to anything that I couldn't control.

"Look Isabella you are not leaving here until we sort out how you are going to help us, so I suggest you get your act together and start to listen to what we are suggesting. Now, we are all here to achieve the same aim, we want to take down the Cullen family and start to take apart the networks they operate. To do that we need to take out the heart of the family." Jarvis looked at Denali and nodded.

"So you want Edward and Emmett then?" I asked. "We want all of them," Jarvis literally rubbed his hands together, seemingly excited by the prospect. "Carlisle, Edward, Emmett. Jasper Whitlock too. Once we have those behind bars we will go after the next tier so they can't regroup." Jarvis was so matter of fact it was as though he already had enough evidence. I was even more confused now.

"How much information do you already have, surely you could take them out now?" I looked at Denali, if he was as involved with this as he seemed to be he could have provided lots of information surely.

Jarvis and Denali exchanged looks again as Jarvis decided what to say, I wasn't sure what was coming so I waited them out. He would have to speak first.

"We have the basics of how the family work. We know who their Allies are and we know how the network operates. What we don't have is actual evidence that places the main people in any circumstances that we could arrest them." Jarvis was matter of fact but that sounded to me as if Denali was the mole. He had been on the outside since Edward had taken over but he would have been able to give them a huge amount of basic knowledge. What I didn't understand was what would be left for him to run if he succeeded. The family would be dismantled, was he going to start his own? I needed to get out of here and quickly, I just couldn't see how. Just as my hopes started to take a nose dive the door opened again and Jarvis was beckoned out. The door closed behind him and I heard the electronic lock engage. Before I could actually say anything to Denali the shouting outside startled me, the volume was incredible and even though I couldn't make out the actual words it was obvious that Jarvis was having a complete meltdown.

"I wonder what's happening." I said quietly, almost to myself.

"I'm not sure but I'm sure it doesn't concern us" Denali mumbled as he tried to settle himself. Just as he finished saying that the door opened and he was beckoned out. His large frame rose out of the chair and he made his way out, I couldn't resist trying to listen and pushed my ear against the door as soon as it closed. I knew the guys behind the mirror could probably see me but I didn't care. If Jarvis was having a meltdown I hoped that everybody in the background was tied up with that.

"Can't we just ignore it for a while? I'm so fucking close" I heard Jarvis say, from the volume of his voice and the vibrations I felt on the door It was as though he was leaning his back against it. Someone answered him but I couldn't quite make out what he had said.

"What the fuck has this got to do with the Governor? This is a government backed task force, nothing to do with the locals."

Whatever was going on was coming to a head and Jarvis wasn't happy. I could only hope that it meant I was going home. As the shouting continued I decided to check my bag. No one had reacted to me listening at the door so I reasoned they were all out in the hallway instead of watching me. I sat back down again and picked my tote bag up. Keeping everything covered and inside the bag I quickly turned my old phone back on and waited for it to light up. As the signal registered I quickly went to the text app to see if anyone had sent me anything. I don't know how Paul had managed it but I had the same number on both phones so this was a mirror of my new one. All I wanted to see was a text from my Dad but unfortunately nothing. I couldn't lose heart. I knew Edward wouldn't have them killed there must be a reason he hadn't answered yet. Just as I was about to pop the phone away the text alert went off, I quickly turned the volume off and looked at the screen.

"I'M ON MY WAY"

EPOV

"Let's go and get her," said Jasper, slamming his laptop lid down suddenly and decisively. I didn't need telling twice and before the others could even ask how or why I had screamed for Seth and told him to get the car ready.

"Jasper, what's happening?" Alice asked as she started to help him pick his things up.

"No sweetheart," he said kindly, "you know I have a system." Jasper waved her away as he started to collect all his papers up.

"Sure dude," Emmett couldn't contain his laughter, "shove it all in and hope for the best. No wonder my sister isn't pregnant yet." As expected Alice did not react too kindly to that and as I screamed for Seth again my father was separating his other two siblings. My money was on Alice, always Alice.

"Where the fuck have you been?" I asked a flushed looking Seth as he came round the corner buttoning his shirt. "Don't tell me you are fucking the waitresses as well." The answering grin told me all I needed to know. I'm trying to get my Isabella out of the clutched of god knows who and he is banging the hired help.

"Where to Boss?" he asked, turning to go towards the staircase. "We are going to get Isabella, make sure you have the directions and the exact location of the warehouse. I don't want any hold ups she has been in there long enough. I want her home and quickly and safely."

Seth's demeanour changed instantly as he realised where we were going. I don't know if he knew she was going to be released or whether he thought we were going into to bust her out but either way he never hesitated. He was doing this for Isabella and for me and in that moment he confirmed he was loyal to me.

"Who's coming Boss?" Seth asked as we all made our way to the garage.

"I need to be there Edward to make sure there is no delay in releasing her," said Whitlock. "I suggest you have Carlisle there too in case Denali is about. I presume he will stay hidden because until we actually talk to Isabella he won't have any idea we know he is involved." Jasper was already putting his briefcase in the boot of my Range Rover.

"I agree, you two get in with me but bring a second car so Isabella can ride back with me." I instructed Seth as he arranged for Quil to follow us. Carlisle's driver also stepped up said he would follow as extra security as did Emmett.

"You are not leaving me behind if everyone else is going,!"Alice yelled as she scrambled to follow Emmett and get in the car with him.

As soon as we were all buckled in Seth pulled out of the car park and the four car motorcade made its way across town. I could feel the nerves in my stomach. I hope they hadn't managed to turn her against me. If they had I was going to fight for her and if they hadn't I was definitely going to tell her how I felt. It was time for her to become Mrs Cullen.


	46. Chapter 46

TNMC

Chapter 44

No copyright infringement meant, I know Ms Meyer owns all thing Twilight. It's my story though so please respect that.

EPOV

The drive across town was tense. Carlisle and Whitlock prattled urgently into their respective phones. I, on the other hand, sat silently behind Seth watching the road. I felt strangely detatched, almost in a trance as I watched the route slip by, each turn and crossroads one landmark closer to getting her back. I felt her presence get stronger and my mood calmed. At the same time my defences sharpened. I I longed for her with all of my heart but while the other two men were exploring legitimate ways of getting her back, my sidearm felt heavy against my side. My heart rate was steady and strong, the adrenalin levels coursing through my body where at the optimum level. My mind was clear and sharp and even though Seth was pushing the Range Rover to its limits I noticed everything as we drove along. I could hear Whitlock explaining to someone that we would be at the unit in ten minutes and if Isabella wasn't outside waiting for us he would be filing paperwork against the state within fifteen minutes. My father was explaining to someone that their term would be coming to an end soon and had they given any thought to how they would fund their re-election campaign if we weren't backing him. It was a well oiled machine, I knew Emmett and Alec would be making similar calls as everyone pulled together.

"Five minutes Boss," Seth barked, catching my eye in the rear view mirror. "Do you want me to drive right up to the entry door or do you want to hang back?"

"Go straight up to the entry door Seth," butted in Whitlock, "or as close as you can get. Make as much noise as you can and park right in the view of any cameras you see. Do not give them any chance to say they didn't know we were here."

I wanted to say something, to demand that we ram the damn gate down, but for once in my life I kept my mouth shut. Seth looked at me and I nodded. Within a few minutes we pulled up outside a padlocked metal gate. The building was nothing special and blended in well with its surroundings. I couldn't help but smile when I realised that the Cullen family actually owned two near identical buildings nearby. "Fuck," said Emmett quietly," I didn't realise she was so close by." It must have dawned on him how close they were to our properties, warehouses that held illegal weaponry, drugs and several huge transport containers full of high end electronics that were 'cooling off' before they went on the next part of their journey overseas.

Jasper got out of the SUV and rattled the gate. He held up some papers and waved them at the camera that was mounted on the gate post. The whirring of the camera as it moved to look at the motorcade that had pulled up, gave us the confirmation we needed. They knew we were here.

"I have some bolt cutters in the trunk if we need them," Emmett stated as he moved to the back of the car.

"Get them but don't use them yet." Whitlock answered, as he scrawled a note on some paper. I couldn't help but marvel as to how the mild mannered lawyer stayed calm and practical in a crisis.

"YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES," said the note."What the fuck are we waiting for?" I snapped, after what felt like an eternity of watching that stupid camera. "Let's give them the five minutes then we'll step up the pressure." The voice of reason spoke again.

Emmett had the bolt cutters in his hand, standing in the direct line of site of the camera. Anyone watching the camera feed would not have the slightest doubt what our plan was.

"Emmett, cut the chain," Whitlock said, flashing another notice at the camera.

Emmett didn't need telling twice. The bolt cutters sliced through the cheap chain with ease and it slithered to the ground with a satisfying metallic clatter. He made a big production of pushing the gates all the way open. We all stood to one side waiting to see if that brought the scum inside running out to stop us. Nothing. No movement at all

"Let's go." I didn't even finish the sentence before I began to walk towards the entrance.

"Wait Edward," shouted Whitlock. "You can't go on the property, the last thing we need is for them to arrest you on some trumped up charge of breaking and entering." The look on his face was deadly serious as he gestured for me to stay put. "I'll go and take Alice with me. She has no ties to the business at all."

"Is there a perimeter security system other than the cameras?" Seth asked. "I'm presuming there will be just the usual low grade government system," replied Whitlock. "This is off the radar as far as the local authorities are concerned so I doubt they have anything other than cameras, an entry system and maybe a few cameras inside." I was quietly impressed; he had really stepped up now I needed him.

"Okay as much as I fucking hate it, you go and get her." I stood right on the boundary line in between the gate, facing the warehouse. I knew they could see me and I wanted the fuckers to see me, they had started this and I was definitely going to end it. I stood stiffly, watching my sister and Whitlock walk slowly into the twilight.

BPOV

The screaming and shouting in the corridor quietened down, replaced by a flurry of activity. I could hear doors opening and closing as I pressed my ear against the door once more.

"Miss Swan please return to your seat. "A voice said out of nowhere. It made me jump, stepping back from the door guiltily. It took me a few seconds to realise whoever had been behind the mirror was back at their station and there was some sort of intercom system connected to the room. I turned and looked at the mirror and raised my eyebrows and then my finger. Really what were they going to do if I didn't? It was obvious something had changed here. I banged on the door, shouting for someone to let me out. It seemed I was being ignored at the moment. I was tempted to check my phone but if they were watching from behind the mirror I couldn't risk them confiscating it.

The door opened and Jarvis walked back in alone. "Have you arranged for my attorney to be called?"

"It seems we won't need to call him after all Miss Swan," he said stiffly. "I'm not sure who Cullen has so firmly lodged in his pocket but he has clearly managed to make enough noise in the right ears." The look on his face and the barely contained rage held in his taut form told me everything I needed to know, I was going home.

"I want to leave now." I stood up and picked up my purse and the remnants of my smashed phone.

"You can go Miss Swan," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he looked at the mirror, "but we haven't finished this conversation. I will be in touch again soon."

"Don't bother," I spat, "you've lost the element of fear you had over me now. Believe me if I found out you had anything to do with the death of my dad you will not need to find me because I will come looking for you." I was deadly serious. If Charlie had died just to get me to talk they had made a very serious mistake. Edward would be a pussy cat to deal with compared to me.

"Is that a threat Miss Swan because I think you just threatened a federal Office in the presence of witnesses?"

His smirk was back and my hand itched so badly, I was desperate to smash it directly into his nose, if I caught it just right I could force it upwards into his brain and it would never be able to be set straight ever again. The image of him rolling about on the floor with blood pouring from his smashed nose flashed across my brain and I had to stifle a laugh. I wanted desperately to get out of here so I took a deep breath and calmed my breathing. I made a deal with myself, if anything had happened to Charlie the next time I saw Jarvis , and I knew I would see him again soon, I'd make sure he suffered.

Agent Call appeared and asked me to follow him. I looked for Denali was but he was nowhere to be seen. The only thing I could think was that he had somehow moved into the room behind the mirror. Wherever he was he needed to hide because once I told Edward he'd been here I had a feeling all hell was going to break loose. The childish part of me was going to make some sort of rude gesture but I held back, realising it was more important that I got out while I had the chance. I followed Agent Call.

"Miss Swan," said the agent, stopping beside a door, one hand on the handle, "on the other side of this door is the parking lot. Your boyfriend and several of his entourage are waiting for you out there. We need you to understand that you cannot discuss anything that has been discussed with you or the identity of any person you've seen today." He spoke to me as if I was a child, his speech pattern was slow and deliberate and he emphasised the words 'discuss anything' and 'identity of any person'. I'm not stupid. I knew he was referring to Denali.

"Why can't I discuss anything?" My tone was plaintive, my attention focused on the door and freedom. "I'm not under arrest am I?"

"No Miss Swan," he confirmed, "you are not under arrest but as we discussed earlier if you are going to help us to bring down the Cullen family you need to make sure that you do not tell Mr Cullen anything that has happened today." He was looking at what I presumed was a camera above my head while he was talking to me.

"I think you will find Agent Call," I replied, dragging my gaze away from the door, pulling myself to my full height and speaking in clipped, loud tones for the benefit of the camera. "We never actually agreed how or even if I was going to help you. You just all assumed I would fall in and help with whatever you told me to do. Well let me make this clear not a fucking chance."

I turned and reached for the handle so Agent Call moved back and leaned across and punched a number into the keypad. I stood and waited as the electronic lock disengaged and the door swung open.

"Good day Miss Swan," Call said as he stepped back inside and the door slammed closed.

I didn't waste a second, I was out of the door before I could even exhale the deep breath I didn't realise I'd been holding. Edward stood between the gates, I was concentrating on him so much I didn't notice Alice and Jasper who were standing right in front of me.

"Isabella are you okay?" Jasper was trying to get my attention but I was fixed on Edward. I took off running determinedly towards him. His grin as I ran towards him was almost infectious, if I hadn't had other things on my mind I would have jumped into his arms but that wasn't my priority at this point. His face dropped slightly as he saw the look on my face.

"Isabella baby, are you okay?" He was searching my face trying to decipher my expression.

"Did you arrange to have my father killed?" I shouted as soon as I was close enough to see the look in his eyes. "Tell me Edward now, did you arrange for someone to shoot my Dad?"

"What are you talking about?" I was so relieved to see his face registered surprise and confusion.

"MY DAD CHARLIE,"I screamed. "IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION AND YOU NEED TO ANSWER ME TRUTHFULLY! HAVE YOU ORDERED MY DAD'S DEATH?" I was shaking, everything that had gone on over the last few hours boiling over.

"Get her in the car Edward and away from here, we need to find out what they have told her and probably shown her." It was Alice's voice that finally cut through the white noise of my screaming and I felt her small arms wrap round me and guide me towards the fleet of Range Rovers parked blocking the entire street.

"Phone Alice, I need you to borrow your phone." My voice was still raised but the anger was fading and tears were starting to prick my eyes, tears that I had been holding in for so long. Alice passed me her phone and I quickly dialled the station house instead of my dad's cell phone. They would know what was happening.

"Forks Police Dept, Janice speaking how can I help you?" The voice was calm and just as I remembered it not a hint of grief or sadness. I took a breath to try and steady my speech.

"Hi Janice its Bella, is my dad about?" I waited for her answer. My life could shatter or go in one of several directions depending on what she said next.

"He's just dealing with a prisoner at the moment Bella," she replied, warm and friendly. "We actually have a customer at the moment. It's only old Frank, drunk and disorderly again, but your dad's just taken him a hot sandwich and a cup of coffee so we can warm him up and sober him up, so hold on a second and I'll put you through to him..."

Relief coursed through my body as the phone slipped from my hand and to the ground. My legs weakened and I had to put one out to steady myself on an SUV. I glanced at Edward; he was still rooted to the original spot, looking on wondering what the hell was happening. I could see he was confused and hurt.

Guilt started to kick in had I really believed, even for a second, that his man was capable of murdering my family? In that moment Aro Volturi/Jarvis made a real enemy, I would do everything in my power to bring that man down.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thank you to LL for her continued dedication to helping me make this idea in my head readable, I couldn't do it without her.

Also thank you so much to everyone who voted for me in the twific awards, my story didn't place but I have to admit I love the fic that won and if you haven't been reading it you really should.

A Servant wife by shouldbecleaning.


	47. Chapter 47

TNMC Chapter 45

EPOV

I know Ms Meyer owns everything Twilight but this plot is mine.

Well that didn't go according to plan at all. Instead of her running and jumping into my arms like some soppy Meg Ryan film, she was sitting in the back of one of my Range Rovers screaming and shouting about someone killing her dad. "Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" My back was to the warehouse, my body facing the motorcade. Isabella was sitting with Alice in the back of my car. Seth was twisted round in his seat passing her a tissue as Alice wrapped an arm around her and passed her a phone. That was my job, why was Alice there and not me?

"It sounds as though they told her you had the Chief killed," Jasper said softly as he appeared next to me. His eyes never left Alice and for the first time I understood their connection, his need to watch over her.

"Why the fuck would I have her Dad killed?" I asked anyone who was listening. "Fuck this." I made my way towards the open car door and stood as close as I could. The conversation she was having seemed very one sided but the grin that suddenly dawned on her face made everything okay for the time being. I watched her smile widen and her shoulders drop as she relaxed and leant back against the seat.

"Hi Daddy," she said. Her voice sounded, small and vulnerable. The delicate tones cast a net around my heart and squeezed. "I just wanted to say hi and make sure you were okay. I haven't spoken to you for a couple of days." There were tears pouring down her face and in that moment I was all for storming back into the warehouse and killing everyone inside. No one upsets my Isabella. As I reached for my gun I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Son calm," Carlisle's grip was just this side of tight, "remember we're still on camera. Not only that but they will be analysing every word and action they witness." His hand was warm and strong, anchoring me with its familiarity to the here and now. "Is there another exit from these units,?" He cast his eyes around the densely packed industrial estate. "I'm wondering if Denali is still in there or whether he has slipped out of the back while we were all concentrating on Isabella?"

"Denali can wait as far as I'm concerned." I told him, coldly. "There is no where on earth he could hide from me now." I felt Carlisle's grip on my shoulder tighten. "Don't worry," I said, tiredness suddenly washing over me. I put my hand over his for a brief moment. "My priority is making sure Isabella is okay, getting her home and finding out what the fuck has been going on." My eyes never left Isabella's face all through the conversation with my father, her tears had finally stopped and she was laughing as her dad seemed to be relaying a story of how the town drunk was running rings round everyone in the station.

"Edward I'm going to take off," said Emmett, "Alec has just given me a location on Denali, I'm going to go and see who he is meeting." Emmett's demeanour was off, he was serious, too serious, and that was never a good sign. I nodded to acknowledge I'd heard him and was happy for him the go but as soon as his back was turned I leaned over to speak to Carlisle.

"Go with him," I implored, "he may need a calming influence if Denali is meeting Mother. Don't let him show himself, I don't want them knowing yet that we know." He didn't even need to nod, he just caught up with Emmett and slipped into the front seat, the pair of them off to potentially seal the fate of two people who had been instrumental in my upbringing. As I watched them drive away I turned back to Isabella. "Guys?" I raised my voice and all faces turned towards me, "we have been putting on a show long enough, back to the house. " I motioned for Alice to get out of my space in the car. She looked at me as though I'd just pissed all over her strawberries but I needed to speak to Isabella in private.

"It's okay Alice, I'll see you later." Isabella leaned forward and hugged my sister.

"Call me if you need to talk or anything, remember I grew up around all this". Alice hugged her again before finally removing herself from my backseat.

I slid into the car after making sure everyone knew where they should be. I closed the car door and turned to Isabella. "Are you okay sweetheart?" I opened my arms and waited for her to crumble into them. For the first time in my life I actually understood those soppy Saturday afternoon black and white movies Esme had made us watch when we were kids. I had an overwhelming urge to protect and care for Isabella. I wanted to hold her, surround her and keep her safe. The feeling was alien to me but I understood it. I was changing, not that I'd fucking admit it to anyone but Isabella but fuck, I was definitely changing.

"Do you think I'm alright after listening to those idiots for the best part of the day? They tried to convince me of all sorts of shit, mainly that you had arranged a hit on my Dad and Harry," her voice was cold, hard. "They showed me photos of them dead."

"Why the fuck would I harm your Dad?" She should know me better then that by now.

"I know that, but it was just so real, and in my face all the time," her voice cracked. " I couldn't bear to think of him dead and gone." I held out my arms again hoping she would finally let me hold her but no not Isabella, no she needed to vent.

"And what the fuck were you doing sending Denali in?" Anger crept into her tone. "He was about as much use as tits on fish. Why the fuck didn't you send me Jasper"

I looked at her trying to understand what she had just said, her lips were moving and she was talking about fish and tits for some reason but I just needed to smash my lips into hers.

"I asked you a question Edward, why did you send in that idiot Denali?"

"I didn't send in Denali, we didn't even know where you were until we finally traced your phone and laptop. Thank fuck you had them with you." I'd hoped we could get back on track once we were alone but my feisty sweetheart wasn't ready yet.

"So he was already there then?, I had a feeling he was waiting for me to arrive. I have loads to tell you, I've tried to remember everything so I can tell you what they know, but to be honest they know very little." I could see her brain whirring as she tried to recall everything that had gone off inside the warehouse. I couldn't give a shit at this moment, I just wanted her to calm down and relax.

"Isabella, calm down, let's get you home and you can relax, then we will talk about what has happened." She nodded her head and settled back. She still wasn't in my arms and they physically ached from not holding her. I wanted so badly to reach over and just bundle her up so she was sat on my knee and I could hold her tight but I really wasn't ready for her to reject me. What if she blamed me? What if she realised that this wouldn't be the only time they took her in and until she married me they would do it as often as they could get away with it? I toyed with the idea of telling Seth to go to the courthouse so we could get married now, but I didn't have a wedding ring for her on me. I had already bought it but it was in the safe at home. Would she notice if we swung past the house to pick it up and then went to the Court house? I weighed up the pros and cons of trying to sneak this past her but by the time I'd decided to just go for it we were pulling up in the drive and Isabella was climbing out of the Range Rover.

"I need a shower, a change of clothes, something to eat, a decent cup of coffee and then I suppose I'll need to start packing my stuff," She rattled off things that she had to do like a shopping list. I wasn't even on her list by the sounds of it.

"Why the fuck do you need to pack?" I asked the empty driveway, she had already disappeared in the house.

"Isabella, where the fuck did you go?" I ran after her like a little lost school boy, searching the kitchen and the Den before running upstairs. As I entered our suite I could hear the shower running and see a trail of clothes on the floor. I followed the discarded clothes. I stripped off my jacket and vest and rolled up my dress shirt sleeved as I finally leant against the shower room door. I could see her outline through the shower screen as she stood with her head bent forward and the water beating down on her neck. I could feel my dick coming to life as I watched the water on her body. I wanted to touch her, if I couldn't I wanted to at least touch the drops of water that had been on her skin. I reached out and traced the droplets running down the inside of the shower screen; it eased the pain of the throbbing in my pants.

"Isabella we have a lot to talk about but first things first, why would you need to start packing?" I knew she had heard me because I saw her body tense as she realised I was speaking to her.

"Answer me please Isabella, why would you need to pack?" I stood watching her just let the water wash over her.

"Well now we know Jarvis is no threat to me you'll need me to go home won't you? I won't need a protection detail," her voice wobbled a bit but her chin held firm, stubbornly high. "Quil can go back to being your relief driver and normality and calm can be restored to us all."

Fuck I hadn't even given that a thought, of all the things going through my mind her leaving was not one of them. I stood like a pussy with my mouth open trying to put together an argument as to why she didn't need to leave ever but I couldn't get the words right in my head. Big Bad Mob Boss lost for words, what a joke. I may have been lost for words but if everything else fails just go with your instincts, so I did. I stepped into the shower stall with her, still in my dress pants, shirt, leather brogues, socks and belt. My pockets were still full, change, keys, phone and my gun was still in its holster under my arm. I didn't give a shit I walked into the stall and took her into my arms, turning her to face me.

"You are going fucking nowhere ever, do you understand me? You belong here with me, by my side, in my bed, in my life. I love you Isabella Swan and don't you ever doubt that. You being here has fuck all to do with Jarvis. You are here because I love you and I want you here with me, do you understand that?" I looked deep into her eyes, looking for the certainty I needed to see, I wanted to know she understood and that she believed me.

BPOV

I wasn't completely sure I'd heard him correctly. Who was I kidding? I'd heard every word. He wanted me to stay and he loved me. As we stood in the shower, me naked and him practically fully dressed I tried to form a response. The best one, the correct one should have been to respond in kind and tell him that I loved him too, but for some reason I held back. I wanted to say the words and they were on the tip of my tongue but they just wouldn't come out. As I looked at the fleeting panic on his face I wanted so badly to put him out of his misery but I just couldn't. The reality was I blamed him for today. Everything that had happened today was because of who he was and what he did for a living.

"If you are not ready to say it back to me Isabella that's fine but I'm telling you I'm all in, if today proved one thing, it proved to me how important you are to me and that I need you in my life."

He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me against the soft wet material of his shirt. As my cheek connected with the skin on his chest I felt the connection to him I'd been missing. It was as though everything about us in that second was power charged and I felt a huge surge of love for him. My mind turned to ripping off his clothes and riding him here in the shower, but where my mind was raring to go my body was not and I felt my legs begin to sag. I hadn't thought I'd been so affected by Jarvis and his team but as Edward took my weight and my legs crumbled I knew I needed to get a grip and sort myself out.

Thirty minutes later we were both lay naked in our huge bed surrounded by a veritable feast. Edward had carefully towel dried me before slipping me under the covers, then he had stripped off his now sopping wet clothes and quickly dried himself before sliding in beside me. He'd rung down to Mrs B and asked her to send up a hot drink and some food and we were sat in bed drinking hot chocolate and eating toasted crumpets. As my mood calmed and everything fell back into perspective I started to take Edward through the interview. He listened intently asking question after question as I explained the photos they had shown me and how I was sure Denali was part of the reason I was there. The evening sky started to darken as I realised we had been in bed for several hours, I told him everything I could remember at least three times and even though he took no actual notes, Edward registered and processed everything I told him.

I awoke to an empty bed sometime around 3AM, my bladder screaming to be emptied after all the hot chocolate and then the two bottles of wine we'd polished off. The sheets were cold so Edward had been up and about for a while. After a visit to the bathroom I wrapped myself in my new silky wrap and went looking for him. He wasn't hard to find, I just followed the sound of the shouting. As I stood outside the closed door of his office I wondered if the shouting had been part of the reason I'd woken up. I was in two minds whether to knock and go in because I wasn't sure if he had people in with him so I just sort of hovered awkwardly. I was about to go back to our bed when Seth came sauntering around the corner, a steaming mug of something in one hand and a huge chunk of Mrs B chocolate cake in the other.

"Hi Bella, he's in there alone if you want to go in." He strolled past me and went towards the control room. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

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Thank you as ever to the wonderful Ladyletters for the fab work she did on this chapter. I need to say thank you to all of you for your continued support, I read all your reviews and some of you might even realise you are shaping the story as I read your suggestion and questions. I still can not believe how many of you have left me kind words. Thank you so much you really do brighten up my day.


	48. Chapter 48

TNMC

Chapter 46

BPOV

I didn't knock. I probably should have, but I didn't. I just opened the office door and went in. The chaotic sight that met me stopped me in my tracks. There were papers everywhere and a shredding machine gently whirring in the corner, needing to be emptied. The air smelt of whisky and Edward and I couldn't help but breathe in a huge lung full. The last time I was in here I had been completely naked, waiting for him in his large, luxurious chair. The room had been tidy then, although you could tell it was a working office. Now the papers on the desk were haphazard as though he had been searching for something frantically. There were two lap tops open and flickering on the desk and some books open as though he'd been studying something. It looked as though he was back in college and getting ready for his finals. I could see him, his back was towards me and as ever he was on the phone.

Edward turned to see who had dared enter his inner sanctum. He stood by the double doors that led out onto the patio in his pyjama pants and nothing else. His hair was all over the place and he was barefoot. He looked glorious, tired and stressed. In that brief moment he looked like I'd imagine a new father would look, one who couldn't sleep because the realisation had hit him he had a new life he was wholly responsible for. I shook my head because I didn't like that idea. I didn't want to be a burden to him, I wanted to be his equal in this relationship and in our life.

"Why are you awake sweetheart, it's the middle of the night?" His hand clasped over the ever present phone in his hand and I realised the shouting had been directed at some poor soul on the other end.

"I woke and you weren't there." I thought for a moment that my words sounded pathetic, however quickly decided that I might as well be honest with him.

His whole face lit up with of the most genuine smiles that I have ever seen.

"I'll call you back later," he murmured, not waiting for a response before pressing his finger onto the screen to cut the call. He threw the phone carelessly onto his messy desk. "Let's get you back to bed then," he said as he started to walk towards to me.

"I'd rather stay here for a while and talk some more if you don't mind." I moved over to the chaise lounge that was in the office. It seemed out of place to have something so Art Deco in style in a Mob Boss's office but it served my purpose so I cleared the papers off it and arranged myself on my side along the sofa. The fact I only had the silky wrap on suddenly became an issue as it gaped exposing my naked body.

"You need to tighten that belt sweetheart if you want to talk," he drawled, his voice low and a little dangerous. "I've been very good tonight… so far." I rearranged myself primly so that I was no longer on show. I couldn't help but giggle as I heard him groan.

"Why have you suddenly taken to calling me sweetheart?" I don't know where the question came from but I'd obviously been thinking about it. I wasn't even sure when I'd noticed the changeover.

"Do you not like me calling you that? What would you rather I call you? Do you want me to stick with Isabella?" His smile disappeared and I could see the frown beginning to form.

"I love that you call me that, "I smiled, to underline it, "I just wondered why you had suddenly started, that's all."

"I have no idea" he shrugged, almost to cover up how vulnerable this admission made him. "Isabella just seems so formal and now I know every inch of your body. IF it was down to me I'd call you my wife as well."

That was me told, I couldn't really answer him so I changed the subject."What have you done about Denali?"

"You know I can't answer that Isabella," he replied, sincerely. You have to realise now that there is a chance Jarvis will pick you up at every opportunity he can and you've already had a taste of what lengths they will go to try and make you talk." We were obviously on sticky ground, not only was I Isabella again but his whole demeanour had changed.

"Don't you trust me? I thought I'd proved today that not only did I not know anything so I couldn't tell them, but that I wouldn't be swayed and tricked into helping them." I tried not to be upset after everything I'd been through today but it did sting a little he was still protecting himself from me of all people.

"Please don't take this personally sweetheart, you have to see I'm doing this in your best interest, until you marry me I will not talk to you about any of my businesses," he moved back behind his desk and sat down, even though I could only see his bare chest he still looked every inch the big bad mob boss.

"You do realise you have never actually asked me properly to be your wife, don't you?"

I moved my legs slightly so the silky wrap gaped open. I was suddenly very hungry, not for food. No I was hungry for his touch, for his body, I needed to feel his skin against mine. I thought about just walking towards him and sitting across his lap, the image of me riding him in his chair spurning me on but I couldn't bring myself to move. His gaze was fixed where my wrap was open. I moved my hand so it was resting on my thigh and then slowly started to stroke my skin. The difference between my skin and the quality of the silk was wonderful, my skin was soft and smooth in its own way but nothing compared to luxurious feel of the smooth cool silk. My fingers brushed up and down the length of my thigh repeatedly moving over the silk and my skin. I was putting on a show but that was a huge part of the thrill that was coursing through my every extremity. I rested my head back, closed my eyes and let my fingers travel further and further until I was gently stroking along the outer lips of my pussy. My wrap was now wide open and my naked body exposed to the room. I could feel a soft breeze across my nipples and the delicious sensation of a caress across my abdomen.

"You are very tempting lying here Isabella, but I will not make love to you in amongst all this chaos," his words were like a bucket of cold water and I opened my eyes to stare at him.

"Fuck me then, here and now!" It must have been a reaction to the day I'd had or maybe something a little deeper but I was needy, a little unsettled and suddenly validating our love physically was the most important thing in the world. I knew he had finally told me he'd loved me and I truly believed him but a tiny piece of me was shouting loudly that maybe he was just keeping me close, making sure they hadn't gotten to me.

I didn't need to ask twice. He crossed the room in three long steps, lifted me without any problem and turned me so I was lying over the back of the chaise lounge. I felt him quickly check to make sure I was ready for him, his long fingers probing, searching for my sweet spot before he pulled them out and ploughed into me balls deep. No hesitation, no grace or finesse just a real hard rough pounding as his hips hit my ass cheeks over and over. One hand was fixed firmly on my breast, gripping on for dear life, the other was tangled in my hair as he pulled on my hair, arching my head back as he tried to get deeper and deeper inside me. It was not quick; he seemed distracted, frantic and messy. All I could do was hold onto the edge of the couch and surrender to his rhythm. I'm sure at one point he was mumbling something about being his but I was too far gone too understand. All I could do was ready myself for the orgasm that I knew was coming. It was all consuming, sweeping over me taking my breath and strength away. The next time I woke up I was tucked up in our bed once again alone.

EPOV

Once Isabella was asleep I got down to the business in hand, she had been very thorough in her recollection of the interview and I had a lot to work with. Isabella was sure Denali was in on this and I was inclined to agree, there were too many coincidences for him not to be. He would know now I knew he'd been in room and he had two options. He could either front me out and say he'd had wind of what was coming so he was ready to help just in case, or he would disappear and sit and wait out whatever was coming. My money was on the first option on the basis that he wouldn't be able to stay hidden if he believed the plan was in motion. I needed to get ready for the 'Task force' raiding my businesses. I was sure that would be the next step. I didn't have to worry about my legitimate businesses, they looked after themselves but I had some documents here that still needed to be destroyed. I spoke to Emmett and my father as they checked on Denali, he had driven himself to a resort in the next state. Once Emmett got there it didn't take him long to find out Denali had been staying there for a few days. He'd taken advantage of all the facilities, leaving huge tips for the staff so everyone remembered him, so much so that it was easy to ascertain he'd been out all day today. His choice of resort was quite clever he was close enough to follow what was happening but far enough away to create an alibi for himself.

Carlisle was trying to locate my mother. She should have been at the house as normal after one of her many charity events or whatever see did each night. I'd sent Quil to keep an eye on the house as well as setting him and Paul the task of finding her. The tracker on her car had been activated but for some reason tonight she had decided to take a limo wherever she was going. Again too many coincidences, I had an inkling she was probably at the resort with Denali but I didn't voice it yet.

"Emmett, what's happening?" I barked down the iphone. My body was still taut and tense, a physical manifestation of the peril that loomed.

"I'm waiting to see what Denali does later," he explained. "Then I'm going into the room and I'm going to plant the surveillance gear I got from Alec. It should give us eyes and ears in his room. I just need the old pervert to go out so I can get in."

"Where is Dad?" I realised I hadn't spoken to him since they had driven off.

"We've booked him a suite here at the resort so we have somewhere to set up. He's having a lie down at the moment."

I took a deep breath and explained I thought our mother was probably there with Denali because we couldn't find her and there was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the line.

"He is booked in with someone but I naturally assumed it was either one of him many assistants or at a push maybe even Aunt Sulpicia," his voice tailed off, clearly wondering how Carlisle would react at finding his wife with his former best friend. "I never thought to ask who the other person was... Leave it with me I'll see if anyone has actually seen who he is with. If it is her Bro what do you want me to do?"I could hear the uncertainty in his voice, as much as he knew what was probably going to happen I couldn't and wouldn't expect him to do it.

"Do nothing," I told him firmly, "just be sure it is her. I wouldn't put it past him to have someone there who looks like Mother just to throw us off the scent" My mind was all over the place because something still didn't sit right. I couldn't decide who was actually the Boss between them. Was this mother's doing and he was helping or was it the other way around? Could they be equal partners at the moment which would cause problems for one of them when the time came to take charge?

As he rang off I called Alex asking for the whereabouts of my mother.

"At the moment Boss no idea, she seems to have left the car, the phone and her bracelet all at the house. I had the guards make sure it was just the jewellery there and not here, she has definitely left everything she knows has a tracker in at home."

"Find her, I don't care if you have to break into every Limo business in the state, she has to have taken a car somewhere so find out who picked her up." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my rollercoaster emotions. "She he may have used them a few times to try them out so look at her phone records and see if you can pick anything up. I shouldn't have to be telling you this, fucking find her."

The sun was just starting to rise as I sat at my desk, the ever present glass of scotch in front of me. I tried to decipher some words on the papers in front of me. The light was coming in through the huge doors, creeping across the floor and slowly onto my desk illuminating the lines on the papers in front of me. I could still smell Isabella on my fingers and in the air surrounding me and I desperately wanted to go to her in our bed. But I couldn't, I needed to gain some sort of control on what was happening around me. I'd already fucked her once tonight and I was guilty of the fact I'd fucked her like some whore I'd paid. A groan escaped my lips as I pictured her spread out before me, the silky dressing gown she wore open highlighting her beautiful body and then again as I used her body. I was rough with her, probably rougher than I'd been before, my anger and confusion at the events of the day culminating in me taking very little care in her needs, just satisfying the base need I had to possess her and prove she was mine.

I needed to apologise to her, beg her forgiveness and promise I would never use her like that again. Tanya had told me I was a disgusting animal, a pervert with deranged needs who was not normal. Maybe she had been right, my tastes were too extreme. Before I could give it anymore thought my phone rang.

"Edward you were right," breathed Emmett. I wondered if Carlisle was still asleep in the bedroom of the suite, "Mother is with Denali."

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As ever thanks to Ladyletters for doing an incredible job on this for me.


	49. Chapter 49

TNMC

Chapter 47

EPOV

"Are you definitely sure it's her?" I asked, already knowing deep down inside it was.

"Fuck off Edward." He didn't even raise his voice. "I know my own mother when I see her. She just walked past me into the restaurant to meet someone for breakfast. I'm just waiting to see who it is." He was businesslike and calm. Emmett the son was firmly locked away. Emmett my enforcer was in place and ready to do what was needed.

"Is she with Denali?" I had tried to push it down but this had been nagging at me. I didn't want to let it surface, once it did I would probably have to digest the fact that my mother had been having an affair with my godfather. The next question was how long? I could understand why, Dad had had his 'other wife' for years. Simple tit for tat would probably have been enough motivation for her to stray. I wondered if Aunt Sully knew. I doubted it, no way would she have been quiet about it and Tanya certainly wouldn't. She would have used the information for her own ends. A thought took hold, perhaps Tanya did know and this was some ruse to get back at me and my family. Was she capable of blackmailing her own father? I made a note to add her to the surveillance detail, I needed to know where she was and who she was seeing.

"No not at the moment." Emmett's voice brought me back into the present." I haven't seen him yet and I can't bring myself to look at the film footage from their room. I really don't want to see either of them naked or getting it on" I had to suppress a slightly manic laugh. How else could we deal with this fucked up situation.

"What the fuck…?" Emmett's grim laugh trailed off suddenly. I could sense the change in tone.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Rosie," he breathed. "Just an hour ago she told me she was having a lazy day off today."

"Where is she?" I tried to picture her but other than the one meeting in the restaurant I couldn't remember spending any time with her. Rosie the little squeaky waitress who never said a word and just giggled or fucked Emmett whenever they got the chance.

"Here, in the foyer."

"Doing what?"

"Having breakfast with mother by the look of it," he muttered darkly. "She doesn't even fucking know her. I need to get closer so I can see and hear what's happening."

"No stay the fuck back." Part of me didn't expect him to listen. With a shudder I remembered the way Mother had spoken to Bella. "We've still got the element of surprise. I don't want them to know you're there." I knew this was difficult for him but he had to stay calm.

"It's Dad," said Emmett. The phone rustled as he passed it over. "Hello Son," said Carlisle.

"Don't let him do anything stupid," I told him without preamble. "We need the element of surprise."

"I know. I'll call you later." The line went dead. I had a fleeting feeling of helplessness. What the fuck was my mother playing at? Why hadn't she spoken to me about what was going on? Was she so desperate for power she would try and overthrow me? Nothing about this made sense. Questions swirled in my head as I started to connect dots and arrange snippets of conversations. The one thing I'd always been aware of was that she had the ear of all the people we needed her to have. If things were as I feared several highly influential people would have to pick sides. I balled my hand into fists, my jaw tightening into a grim line. Whoever picked Denali and my Mother over me and the family would suffer financially, personally and professionally. Their whole family would be blacklisted for generations; I would make sure of that.

The door to the safe room still stood open, letting a light chill breeze whisper across my feet. I shivered. When I remodelled the house I had arranged for it to be installed. We'd done it in such a way that no one contractor worked on the whole room, so unless the FBI managed to trace all eight contractors and get them into a room to discuss what part of the build they had done they would be none the wiser what they had actually constructed. The architects thought that they were designing a safe room for a New York penthouse. With the anonymity of the internet the contractor would never be able to link the project to me or my family.

Computers were all very well but there was some paperwork that I couldn't afford to have online and the events of the last few days had confirmed that I needed to be even more careful than usual. Whitlock, Alec and Paul had made me realise just how easy it is to hack computer systems so we had a different approach. I had a system that made the Pentagon's look like an amateur had designed it was set up so intricately that one attempt to even hack the outer firewall caused the system to shut down and move to another server within seconds. The first thing Paul had had Alex do when he joined us was to continually attempt to break into our internal system, he was still trying and as soon as he found a weakness, he worked with Paul to fix it.

With the most incriminating papers safely inside I pulled the heavy door closed and set an electronic lock as well an old fashioned manual failsafe. Then I slid a bookcase on castors across the door until it was completely hidden. I finally sat down in my chair and almost relaxed. My sweetheart was still fast asleep in our bed, where she should be, my balls were empty and I was sure in my own mind as to what was happening. It didn't matter who was the calling the shots, Denali or my mother, one was leading the other was following, that meant both had to die.

Emmett POV

It was killing me not being able to hear what Mother was saying to Rosie. As we watched from a table in the far corner of the restaurant, peering through the leaves of a plastic plant, I could tell that Esme was on her guard. She looked around constantly and had deliberately chosen a chair with her back to the wall so that she could see the room. Esme would be aware that there were people at the table behind the plant screen but she wouldn't have a clear enough view to know it was us.

I could tell from watching her she wasn't her usual composed self. She was as taught, sat with her back to the corner of the room so no one could come at her from behind, her attention was partly on my Rosie but she was constantly scanning the restaurant and I couldn't decide whether she was looking for Denali or just unsettled and nervous. My question was soon answered as Denali swept into the restaurant as if he owned the place. He acknowledged the staff by name, telling them he'd had marvellous night's sleep and was refreshed and raring to get on with his day. There was no mistaking the fact he had just supplied himself with a restaurant full of alibis if he needed any. He walked across to the table and pulled out the chair next to my mother. I couldn't help but shudder as he leaned over and kissed her cheek before turning to my Rosie and acknowledging her.

"How can we get within hearing distance," I growled. "I need to know what the fuck they're talking about" Carlisle reached for the coffee pot to fill his cup. I was literally on the edge of the seat. I marvelled at how he could eat while his wife, my mother, was across the room with another man. But I was also man enough to admit it was that steel core that separated Edward and him from the rest of the family. I just wanted to go across, beat Denali to within an inch of his life and ask my mother what the fuck was going on. I wouldn't have sworn because she didn't like to hear vulgar language, but at least I'd have an idea what was going on.

"Son we just have to wait and see if we get a chance to get up close," Dad answered as he tucked into the huge plate of pancakes with bacon and syrup in front of him.

"Liz would kill you if she could see what you were eating," I told him. It took me a second to realise the absurdity of the remark and I was just about to laugh when he put an urgent warning finger across his lips.

"Don't!" His eyes flashed. "Your laugh will draw attention to us and your mother would recognise it instantly." He looked into my eyes until he was sure I was under control and then he picked up his fork and went back to his lavish breakfast.

"You have to admit it is funny," I told him. "We are sat here watching your wife with her lover while I'm talking to you about yours." I leaned over, took a rasher of bacon and dipped it in his syrup.

"It's not funny son," he shook his head. His face was sombre and I immediately felt ashamed. "It's very sad that things have disintegrated to such a mess. I miss your mother immensely even now and had she still wanted me I would never have strayed." He sighed. "All this is her doing, she chose to pull away from me, I fought for her for years until I realised it would never make a difference, she was quite adamant she no longer wanted me."

I looked at my Dad and I could see from his expression as he constantly glanced at the table on the other side of the restaurant that he was being genuine. I had always presumed he'd taken a mistress because he could, it was almost expected, but now I knew different and the one important question needed answering.

"Did you know about Esme and Denali?" If he'd known all along and not said anything to us then I needed to have a conversation with my brother, quickly.

"I knew Denali had met someone," he replied, quietly. "He's been talking about her for several months, he has been going on about how he has finally been able to find the great love of his life. I should have known something was wrong because he is usually such a show off but no matter how many times I asked to meet her he just kept saying it was too important to him to trivialise with gossip and as soon as he was able to divorce your aunt he would arrange a family party and introduce her as his new bride."

"Did you never ask her name?"

"Of course I did, but he refused to tell me. I put it down to the ramblings of an old man. To be honest I expected him to turn up with an archetypal bleached blonde twenty something who would fuck him to death and then we'd find out she managed to get him to change his will so she got everything." The pancakes and syrup were all but forgotten as he contemplated how wrong he'd been.

"I wonder if it was Edward's divorce that triggered this." He pushed the half full plate away.

"Why would that make a difference?" I asked not following his thought path.

"Well, by divorcing Tanya the families are no longer linked. Now I'm no longer the head of the family, other than our long standing friendship Denali and I have no connection to the family business we are both supposedly retired. If they are making a play for power it has to be Denali as the head and to be accepted Esme would have to be a widow."

I watched him sag into his seat as he realised the woman he obviously still loved and his best friend for as long as he could remember had very probably sentenced him to death. What little food I had managed to eat myself now lay heavy in my stomach.

"We need to speak to your brother," he said, asking for the cheque with a wave of his hand. "We need to find out if there is a special hit out on me. I would imagine that they need me to have a convincing death, an accident or a medical problem. No one will believe they weren't implicated in my death if I'm taken out in a drive-by" He stood to leave, making sure his back was to my mother.

"I don't want to leave yet," I sunk farther into my chair, crossing my arms defiantly. "I need to know what is going on, there are only two reasons Mother asked Rosie here. She's either trying to recruit her or she already has. I need to know if I've been played." I looked across at the sweet innocent girl who had captured my heart and wondered if I'd been a complete idiot.

"Did you do a complete check on her?" Carlisle sat back down.

"Not at first because I thought it was just a fling, you know a bit of fun at work, but later when I realised just how much I cared about her I had Paul do all the usual checks and before you ask everything came back clean and as expected."

"So you are sure she is not a plant? She isn't like this Jarvis character, made up so you let your guard down?" I could see why he asked but I was secure in my relationship with Rosie.

"Well if she is they have gone to great lengths, I've met her family including her grandmother, attended a huge family party, been to her parents house several times and seen the photo albums with the baby pictures in." He seemed satisfied and relaxed a little.

"If you are happy I'm happy," he smiled and I thought it was a little wistful. Perhaps he was remembering a time when he and Esme were young and in love. "Let's wait for her to leave the restaurant and we'll grab her before she gets out of the building, we have the room for another night in case we need it. You are going to need some rest at some point, you have been up all night, we can take her there and talk to her."

It didn't take long for breakfast to start to wind down and as the restaurant thinned out we risked being spotted. Carlisle left first and I followed him. We waited for another thirty minutes before Rosie finally emerged from the restaurant. We were hopeful she would leave on her own, we reasoned Esme and Denali would want to talk about whatever they had discussed with Rosie and we were right. As soon as she appeared I moved out from the alcove I was stood in and called her name. She stopped instantly and turned towards me, as soon as he saw me she burst into tears. Now I know my Rosie and she doesn't do anything quietly so I knew I had seconds to get her out of the open foyer before the entire area knew she was there and in distress.

I cradled her in my arms and carried her away to our room before she even realised what was going on.


	50. Chapter 50

TNMC

Chapter 48

EPOV

"So you believe her?" It was a straight forward question and Emmett knew I was just making sure. Well, I hope that he did. I was still in my office and the morning light meant I could see myself in the glass doors. I didn't need to have a quick sniff to know I needed a shower, a shave and something to eat to soak up all the scotch I'd consumed steadily throughout the night. I was glad I was talking to Emmett on the phone rather than in person.

"You only have to see the state she in to realise she is telling the truth. I could hear the anger in his voice and I knew he had the confirmation he needed. "Mother and Denali have done a real job on her."

"What do they want her to do?" I tried again to picture her but all I could remember was the blonde hair and the ludicrous giggle.

"Well they slipped up with my Rosie. They presumed she knew all about me and the rules that go with my life. When it became quite clear she knew fuck all they tried to get her to inform from here on in."

I felt, rather than heard him shake his head. "When she asked what they wanted to know about, they made it clear they were only interested in information about you and Isabella. She told them she had only ever really met Isabella once or twice and she was too frightened to talk to you, so they eventually gave up and told her not to tell anyone about the meeting or else." His voice softened. "Poor love doesn't even realise what 'or else' means."

The tone of his voice changed, no longer hard and angry. I detected a genuine tenderness and it was obvious that he loved Rosie just as much as I loved Isabella. My brother and I didn't talk about our feelings often and I felt strangely guilty, as if I was a voyeur looking in on their love.

"We need to keep her safe bro," he said. "If anything happens to my Rosie I don't know what I'd do…" I could hear my dad talking to Rosie in the background, calming her down and making sure she was okay.

"Get her moved into your house today," I told him, glad to move the conversation back to territory where I was comfortable. "Sort out protection for her and while you can't tell her what we do you can explain why she needs someone with her. Either that or you need to marry her pretty fucking quick."

"Fuck yes," he replied, as if I had given him an idea. "I wonder if they have someone here who could arrange that. I'll call you later." The line went dead. A short, incredulous laugh escaped my mouth, almost surprising me. I could only imagine what the hell was happening over there. Looks like Emmett was going to get the next Mrs Cullen. I would have to wait.

My next call was to see if there was a hit out on us. I spoke to Alex and he put the word out. We have our own network of gossips. They say women love to talk, well fuck me no one talks like a group of made guys when they are in a safe place and they have some beer or Jack inside of them. I'll know within a few hours just who put the contract out and who has taken it up, if there is one of course.

A tap on my office door almost startled me, I wasn't expecting anyone to be around, before I could even shout to whoever it was to come in the door started to open, alerting me to the fact it was Isabella. She was the only one who knocked and came in. I got up and walked to meet her in the doorway.

"Are you ready for some breakfast sweetheart?" I put my arm around her and swept her along the corridor, not really giving her a chance to object. I had a sudden craving for normality.

Mrs B had prepared a spread for us and left it in the warmer in the kitchen. I looked at my watch. Whilst it was too late to refer to this as breakfast, it was still brunch time. At least I could be sure all the security guards had already eaten so we shouldn't be disturbed. As I looked at Isabella I could tell she was getting ready to say something, something she was having difficulty getting out.

"We need to talk Edward, I've been thinking I..." I let her trail off because to me this sounded like she was going to say something I wasn't going to like. I really didn't need her freaking out, even though I would completely understand if she did. I needed her to calm down and understand this was her new way of life and she needed to adapt quickly. I made myself a plate of scrambled eggs and toast and poured a coffee for each of us. I passed a mug to her and she accepted it with a weak smile, watching me as I sat down at the table in my usual spot. My best chance was just to tell her everything I knew. I'd listened to her last night, to everything she could remember and now it was my turn to tell her everything that had happened.

"I've just spoken to Emmett and my mother and Denali are holed up in a resort in the next state over, they have just tried to recruit Rosie to spy on you and me so I think we can safely assume they are in this together. They will need to overthrow me, they need me dead and they need it done in such a way that doesn't implicate them." I delivered the information calmly and coldly, hoping she would understand the situation and talk to me about it.

"So you think they are planning to kill you?" She finally moved into the kitchen, sitting down opposite me.

"Not only me, they need to get rid of Dad too." I tried not to let worry infect my voice.

"Why?" I could see the confusion on her face as she picked up a rasher of bacon to nibble.

"We think they are together. "Her eyebrows raised. "We're not sure how long but Denali has been talking about divorcing my Aunt because he has finally got the love of his life and he wants to get married as soon as possible. I'm the first divorcee in the family and there is no way Mother would ever get divorced so we can only assume he will be taken out as well."

"How can you be so calm Edward?" A slight note of panic entered her voice. "Someone is probably plotting to kill you right at this moment and all you can do is eat breakfast." By the time she had finished the sentence her voice had risen at least three octaves and I could see the pinkness in her cheeks and neck blossom. She did care about me. I knew that even if she wasn't ready to say it.

"This is part of my life Isabella," I told her, in the same tone in which we might have discussed laundry or grocery shopping. "I have lived with this knowledge since I was old enough to understand what my family business was. I have always had a protection detail. I thought they were babysitters, it never struck me as odd my babysitters were all huge guys who carried guns and very rarely spoke." All the time I was talking to her I never took my eyes off her face, there was no point trying to play this down she needed to understand what she was getting into.

"Am I going to be a target, as your w… girlfriend?" She sipped her coffee as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. My heart skipped a beat, I was sure she had almost described herself as my wife.

"Our women are off limits Isabella. There have been a few incidents but they have mostly come about when people have been playing in places they shouldn't have been." I sat back and pushed my now empty plate away from me. Isabella had only eaten one rasher of bacon so I was pleased when she reached across and picked up a piece of toast and after carefully spreading it with butter and strawberry jam finally ate something. I let her finish it, topping up our cooling coffee before I went back to what she was going to say right at the start of the conversation.

"So you said we needed to talk. Do I need to be worried about something?" I tried to look comfortable and at ease but my heart was beating out of my chest. If this was a 'thank you but goodbye' talk I wasn't sure what I was going to do. How would I ever let her go?

"I was just thinking I would like to go and visit my Dad," she said, taking another large bite of the toast. "I haven't seen him in a couple of months and even though we talk regularly I'd like to actually see him." She didn't have to say how much the incident with Jarvis had shaken her.

I relaxed instantly. She wasn't saying goodbye."You are coming back aren't you Isabella?" Doubts crept in, the dark thoughts in my mind hard to ignore. I pushed my plate away, the salty bacon suddenly heavy in my stomach. "You're not just saying it's a visit to get away are you?" It sounded childish and possessive even as the words left my mouth but I had to know she was coming back.

"Yes Edward I'm coming back," she smiled, genuinely. "I have appointments to re arrange and I need to look for some new properties to market. I just need to see my Dad."

"Okay, I'll speak to Quil he can go with you, maybe one of the others too." I was already thinking ahead, re assigning people and duties so she would be protected and safe.

"Are you happy with Quil after what Jarvis said about him yesterday?"

I'd been waiting for her to ask about him. She had delivered the information last night quite matter of fact, never questioning what she was telling me. She had every right to wonder, I knew Jarvis was playing with her head and I needed to put her straight.

"Isabella I'm going to break my own rules now and tell you something. Quil submitted to a test when he came back and he passed it with flying colours. I know he didn't tell them anything." I was hoping she wouldn't push this, to tell her the truth meant she would be an accessory to something. Of course, it was a catch twenty two, if I didn't tell her she would be worried I was sending her off with someone I didn't trust, either to test her or him.

"What sort of test?" Her eyes narrowed. "You mean like a polygraph or something?"

"I knew you would want to know. If I tell you it makes you an accessory you realise that?" She thought for a few seconds before nodding.

"We injected him with sodium pentothal, more commonly known as the truth drug." I delivered the information as dispassionately as I could. Quil knew what he was doing and he knew we needed to be sure he was telling the truth.

"Well I know you can't buy that at Wal-Mart so I won't ask any more questions," she nodded her understanding. "Thank you for being honest with me Edward, you have no idea how much that means to me."

With that she leaned across the table and planted a loud sloppy kiss directly on my lips. She tasted of strawberries and butter and I wanted her desperately. As my tongue started to taste deeper tones of coffee and toothpaste I was distracted by my cell phone ringing. I was tempted to ignore it and just take her here over the kitchen table but with everything that was happening at the moment I needed to keep my wits about me.

"Sorry sweetheart I need to take this." I looked at the screen and it was Alex, hopefully he had some information for me.

"Boss are you able to talk?" I knew he had something important to tell me.

"Yes go ahead Alec."

"You were right, a contract was floated two days ago. It's for a million dollars and to get it Carlisle has to have a fatal car crash and if it can't be arranged that you are in the vehicle with him, you have to be killed in public in what looks like a messy assassination attempt. Terms are one third one the first death, one third on the second and the final third when Carlisle's death is classed an accident. There is a bonus if your death starts a war between the remaining families" By the time he'd finished explaining all the different caveats my head was spinning. For a lousy million dollars, whoever had put the hit out would not only pave the way to take over the family but would also cause chaos with the other families. This would take months if not years to sort out meaning the streets would be a free for all.

"Who is the name behind the hit?" I asked Alex, fully expecting him to say Denali.

"Well that is the weird thing Boss," he paused, the silence thick between us. "Word on the street is that it's Emmett, but we both know that's not right." I could tell he was as surprised as I was that Emmett's name had come up. There was no way on earth my brother would do this to me or our Dad so someone was trying to be clever.

"Has anyone taken it up yet?"

This was the most important part, I needed to know who was coming for us.

"You are going to love this Boss, Jacob Black and his crew have taken it. Rumour has it he's been telling anyone who would listen, it's to avenge what you did to him and for James Hunter." He rung off and I mulled over the information.

I instantly felt better. Black was using so much of the product he was supposed to be selling he was cutting the remaining powder with anything he could get his hands on. I'd refused to do anymore business with him so he was dealing with the Romanians now and one phone call to Stephan and Black would be history. He'd soon realise he'd got off lightly with what Emmett had done to him.

I needed to speak to Dad and Emmett to make them aware of what was going one but also to find out what was happening at the resort.

"I need to work sweetheart, do you want to join me in the office?" I was offering her a huge olive branch as well as showing her how much I trusted her.

BPOV

As much as I needed to actually see Charlie as soon as Edward explained about the hit out on him and Carlisle I knew my visit would have to wait. If I went I'd be constantly worrying about him and he really needed Quil and the guys here looking after him. I knew I couldn't ask Charlie to come and visit me because he'd want to know what was happening. In the interim I was keeping Edward close. It was nice to finally be allowed access to his office. We were sat opposite each other, both still in what we'd thrown on this morning. I was finally enjoying a mug of hot fresh coffee and Edward was tapping away on the two laptops back on his desk. I watched his face as he looked between the two, his concentration total as he seemed to take information from screen and move it the other.

A thought suddenly struck me.

"Edward do you think the FBI will have informed Charlie I was taken in for questioning?" If they had he would be on his way here already.

"No I very much doubt it," he replied, coolly, "you are legally an adult and as this is a cross agency team of idiots, chances are they wouldn't risk have to explain to him why they showed you pictures of him dead."

I settled back down into the chair but couldn't help but notice the worried look on Edward's face and his constant checking that I was still there. It was almost as if he was making sure that I wasn't going to run out of the door at any moment. I swallowed, a lump suddenly in my throat. I loved this man, why couldn't I just say the words?


	51. Chapter 51

The Next Mrs Cullen

Chapter 49

EPOV

Emmett and Carlisle spent the rest of the day at the resort trying to find out anything they could. With a combination of brute force and a wad of notes thrust into the right hand to turn a blind eye they had managed to get the tech gear into their room when Denali had gone down to the bar and mother had paid a visit to the spa the night before. Emmett was distracted after the shock of seeing Rosie. Combined with Carlisle's dread of what he might see on screen it had taken some time before they actually sat down and viewed the feed with the accompanying audio. It soon became apparent Esme and Ed Senior were a couple. They were in whatever this was together but they were very careful not to say anything directly. This didn't surprise any of us. The life we had all grown up in soon taught you to be very careful what you said and when. I hoped that they didn't have sex on camera. It was going to cost me a fortune for Emmett's therapy bills already.

"Son, we're going to pack up and come home." Even on the phone Carlisle sounded bone weary. "In my opinion they are just here to create a base and an alibi so they can be out of state when it happens. According to their reservation they are booked in here for the next three weeks, so I presume they are just going to go backwards and forwards. They can't be seen to be together yet and they have to carry on with their normal lives so we keep an eye on them. I suspect that when they come back here that is when we have to be on our guard." Carlisle was very matter of fact and I appreciated that, the last thing we needed now was chaos and decisions made on emotions.

"Did Emmett find someone to marry him,?" I snorted, Emmett was the impulsive one in the family and it wouldn't surprise me if he'd managed to arrange it. "Do I have a new sister in law?" "Not quite," Carlisle's voice warmed and I knew that he was smiling, "while Rosie accepted his very hurried proposal she was quite vocal in her need for, and I quote, a fuck off huge do with so much sparkle it looks like a sparkle factory has exploded."

"What did Emmett say to that?"

"A few expletives, he would have dragged her down the aisle already if it was his choice. They did come to an agreement, they'll get married tomorrow so we can all be there. Rosie is going to ask Isabella to help her to pull it altogether as soon as possible." I could hear the love and laughter in his voice as he spoke, a far cry from someone who knew he had a contract on his head.

"Come back," a thought struck me, a wedding might be just what we need, "you can all stay here with me and Isabella, I don't want the protection detail spread too thin. I'll see if Isabella can organise a minister or someone to come here tomorrow and marry them." I heard Carlisle turn and speak to Emmett before coming back to me. "They like that idea, could Isabella help Rosie to find a dress this afternoon?" We spoke for a few more minutes about some information I needed to pass on before I finally slumped into my chair. I was absolutely knackered and running purely on caffeine, alcohol and adrenalin.

Isabella had been in the Den most of the morning catching up on emails, speaking to the insurance company about her apartment and trying to get some new properties to market. It meant a lot to me that she had not just done the same as Tanya who as soon as she had access to my money had decided she would make it her mission in life to see if she could actually spend it all. I'd kept check on the cards and accounts I'd given Isabella and apart from groceries she hadn't really used them at all. I knew that would change as she became more secure in our life but it was just another of the many reasons I loved her.

I needed to sleep to recharge my batteries. I was dead on my feet after being awake for 30 hours straight. I quickly asked Mrs B and the security guys on shift to join Isabella and myself in the family room and explained to them we would be having guests for the next few days and that there would hopefully be a wedding ceremony tomorrow. Mrs B went into overdrive immediately, calm and organised as she went off already barking orders into her phone even though I didn't have any idea of guest numbers. I had given her a pretty sizeable budget to do what she could at such short notice.

Seth was set the task of finding somebody to marry them as I dismissed everyone. "I have one more call to make sweetheart then I have to have a nap, would you care to join me?" Part of me was hoping she'd refuse because I really did need to sleep but I wasn't going to pass up the chance especially as I still needed to apologise for being so rough with her last night. She smiled and nodded and told me she'd meet me in our suite. Hearing her refer to it as ours still got to me and part of my anatomy was now very much wide awake.

I went back into the office to make one more call to Alex, something was bothering me and I trusted my own instincts enough to know I needed to check it out.

"Alex I need you to run surveillance on Tanya, does she still have her bracelet?" All the women in the extended family had specially made bracelets with a tracking device in them. It was invisible to the naked eye as it was buried inside the lock mechanism but it meant that we could find them if anyone did try and take them. Mother knew about the device hence why she had left hers at home. Alice knew too and always wore hers. I was still waiting for Isabella's to arrive. I cursed the fact I'd ordered a special one for her in platinum, it was taking longer to organise for some reason hence why we had chipped her phone and laptop. "Yes Boss she does but we haven't activated recently. Let me get it set back up and I'll keep an eye on her whereabouts." I could hear the keys on the laptop as he worked so I knew he was on it.

"The other thing I need is Jacob Black," I told him. "I need to know his current state, how much gear is he putting up his nose and whether his apartment still a poor excuse for a frat party and crack house."

"On it boss." It was all I needed to hear.

The rest of the late morning and early afternoon passed calmly as I lay snuggled in Isabella's arms. After I tried to apologise about my handling of her the night before, which she brushed away exclaiming she'd loved every minute of it, I'd had a second wind and managed to make sure both of us were very satisfied before finally falling asleep.

We were woken by my cell phone which, in my haste to get to Isabella, I'd forgotten to turn off. It was Emmett telling us they were thirty minutes out. I nudged the sleeping beauty next to me and we started our day again.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the office with Emmett and Carlisle as we started to put together plans to take out Jacob Black and everyone else we deemed important in his organisation. I couldn't include Whitlock yet but as soon as all the plans were in place we would run everything past him just to make sure we hadn't missed anything. Isabella had gone out with Rosie to do some shopping for Rosie's dress for tomorrow. Seth and Quil had gone with them so we could be sure they didn't accidentally over hear anything.

As I sat looking at the glow on his face I realised I was envious of Emmett. Tomorrow he wouldn't need to worry about anything. Rosie would be his wife, the Feds couldn't touch her and if everyone stuck to the rules the other families would treat her with respect she deserved. Rosie was going to be the archetypal wife. I knew Emmett would have her pregnant before too long and she would soon be out lunching with the other wives. Her wedding would open the door to a whole new world she knew nothing about yet but it was a close knit community and a support system was already in place that would help her with everything she needed. Alice would be a great help to her as well as Paul's wife and one or two of the others.

I shifted in my chair, a little uncomfortable. I had already realised my Isabella was not going to be a typical wife. I knew she would stand beside me and help me run the family business. She couldn't be seen as my equal, the family had a long way to go yet to acknowledge anything like that, something my mother seemed to have forgotten all about. Thinking about that prompted another conversation with Carlisle about who may have been stupid enough to back Esme. We needed to know who she could have on her side and how we could find out without alerting her to the fact we knew what was going on. We talked long into the afternoon, the three of us plotting against the woman who had given birth to two of us and the man who had been my father's friend for as long as he could remember.

BPOV

Shopping with Rosie was a joy, the woman was so excited about getting married it was infectious. We started out in the department stores that Rosie was comfortable in but I finally coaxed her into trying some of the more upmarket stores and even a few bridal boutiques. We couldn't get in any of the 'by appointment only' ones but we had fun in the ones we went in. The dresses were either full on wedding dresses which Rosie didn't want for the service tomorrow or Mother of the Bride dresses which were far too old and staid for her. She tried on several different outfits before she finally sat down and gave a huge sigh. "What am I going to wear Bella? At this rate it will be my jeans and a t shirt or my uniform from the club." I sensed that she still felt very conscious of her humble background.

We needed to come up with something for her to wear, something that suited her and would let her walk into that room tomorrow with her head held high. Seth kept telling me to use the Cullen name but it didn't feel right, neither of us were Cullen's yet. Finally I called Alice and after a few phone calls she directed us to a little boutique she knew and the woman who owned it was waiting for us. She had closed the boutique so we had exclusive service and free range of all the stock. It was amazing what money and a name could do. The boutique was very classy, the decor very understated mainly whites and creams with lots of silver antique pieces everywhere. The rich colours of the dresses displayed like exhibits in a museum were shown off against the blank canvas.

The sofas were hard to sit on but looked expensive and I suddenly thought about the chaise lounge in Edward's office. My face heated as I remembered how he had handled me the night before. I have never been... fucked was the only way to describe what we'd done, that way. I couldn't wait for the next time, he made my body feel sensations I didn't realise existed. The sound of a champagne bottle popping brought me back into the present and after a quick drink we set about looking through the gowns. Almost immediately I found an incredibly beautiful evening gown in lilac with a diamante neck line. I knew as soon as I saw it that it was perfect for me but I waited to see what Rosie chose. She was getting more and more worked up as time went on, it wasn't until the owner told her she would stay here all night if we needed to that Rosie calmed down and started to make some choices.

She eventually chose a pale blue gown that worked beautifully with her fair skin and eyes. Once we added some height to her hair and some killer heels she looked amazing. When she finally realised she could carry off the dress her confidence happiness shone on her face, lighting her from within more thoroughly than any expensive makeup. My dress was a good match so we finally packed the two dresses, two pairs of shoes, lingerie for Rosie and matching bow ties for the men into delivery boxes. As I pulled out the credit card Edward had been urging me to use I had to close my eyes and hold my breath as she put the charge through. I fully expected it to reject. It was over $ 10,000, and surely Edward has some sort of limit on there to make sure I didn't go mad? But everything went through without a hitch. I let out the breath that I had been holding and ushered Rosie to the door. We had been in the boutique for over three hours and the street outside was deserted as I looked for Quil and Seth. They had looked uncomfortable standing in the tiny boutique waiting for us so I'd sent them to the bar across the street once they were sure we were locked in. I'd promised I'd call them as soon as we were ready to leave but as we stood on the sidewalk I realised I'd forgotten. The boutique owner had already locked the door behind us, presumably pleased to be heading home at last. As we stood on the dark street laden with bags and boxes I instinctively knew I'd made a terrible mistake.

Before I could even reach into my bag for my phone the car parked across the road from us wound down its window and the passenger stuck his head out just enough for me to see his face.

"Good evening Miss Swan what a surprise seeing you here all alone"

"As you can plainly see I'm not alone, so just run along home back to your warehouse and leave me alone we've already established I know fuck all and Rosie here knows even less" I was beyond annoyed that Jarvis had the balls to actually sit there as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Ahh so this is the soon to be Mrs Emmett Cullen, good to meet you finally Rosalie"

Just as I was about to go across the street and pull him through the open window Seth and Quil came running out of the bar. Seth was on speed dial on my phone and it had been easy to just press the screen to alert him. As Quil ushered us into the back of the SUV Seth went across to speak to Jarvis but before he could get close enough the car sped off down the street.

"The Boss is going to have our balls for this" Seth remarked as he climbed into the front next to Quil and I knew I was in for a long night.


	52. Chapter 52

TNMC

Chapter 50

BPOV

Edward had been shouting constantly for about 10 minutes, Quil and Seth on the receiving end. His office door was closed but as I paced up and down the hallway outside his voice was so loud I could make out every word. Every other word was an expletive. I was genuinely worried that he was finally going to shoot Seth. "Edward enough," I burst into the office, not bothering to knock. "They were doing as I asked. I was the one who forgot to call and let them know we were ready to come home." I used the term home specifically because I knew it still got to him to hear me call his house my home.

"They don't fucking work for you Isabella," he growled, "They supposedly work for me, something they seem to have a problem remembering." He was stood behind his desk facing Seth and Quil who were stood side by side facing him. I could see his gun was casually thrown on the desk top and I wondered if he had already waved it at them and put it down or if it was there to purely try and intimidate them.

I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, three grown men acting like a school teacher and two naughty pupils waiting to be caned. As I looked at Edward his face was red and the vein in his forehead throbbing, his blood pressure was probably off the scale at the moment and I needed to deflate the situation without causing Edward to lose face.

"You should punish me not them, I was the one who screwed up, I was sure we'd seen the last of Jarvis. I under estimated the situation" I moved towards the desk and leaned over to whisper in his ear

"I've been a bad bad girl; maybe I need a thorough spanking to show me the error of my ways?" I knew it was low enough that they hadn't heard but the low feral growl that emanated from Edward gave the game away. Seth didn't help matters sniggering like a school boy. Edward roared, picked up his gun and fired. Luckily Seth ducked and the bullet embedded in the wall behind him. The office door flew open and several different people including Emmett all poured into the office guns drawn.

"It's okay everyone calm down," I shouted as general chaos seemed inevitable. Seth and Quil stood stock still never taking their eyes off Edward's trigger finger. He was still pointing the gun at them and everyone was waiting to see what was going to happen next.

"All of you get the fuck out of my sight." He screamed as he finally lowered the gun and flicked the safety back on. Quickly and remarkably quietly the office emptied leaving just the two of us. As the last person left and closed the door I watched him deflate and slump down into his chair.

"Does that extend to me as well?" I wouldn't have been surprised or even offended if it did, I'd caused this whole mess.

"I don't know whether I want to scream at you, fuck you or spank you at this moment?" His voice was low and gruff and I could see he was struggling with his thoughts and emotions.

"I won't do anything like that again I promise, I've really learnt my lesson this time." I sat on the desk top facing him. I was close enough that my legs brushed his arm as I crossed them. He let out a sigh and rested his hand on my thigh.

"Isabella it would have been easy for Jarvis to pick you up again today and take you in for questioning. You have already had a taste of the lengths he will go to to try and make you talk. If I were in his position I would have reasoned that as you were still here, with me, that you had told me everything you talked about and to gain your respect I would have spilled some secrets about my business in return. He will pick you up again soon to see if you have anything to tell him."

"I promise I will make sure I'm accompanied at all times and that I will be on my best behaviour, well outside anyway" I was trying to lighten the mood and calm him down and hopefully it was working.

"Isabella I need to work, I'll see you later, why don't you take Rosie into the theatre room and have a girly evening, she can't have a conventional hen party tonight but you can get Mrs B to sort you out some champagne and whatever, go watch a chick lit or whatever they are called" He was dismissing me and deep down I understood that but I wasn't letting him off that easy. I made my way to the door and as I was half way through I stopped and looked back at him "Do you have any decent porn Rosie and I can watch on the big screen?" I closed the door and as I walked down the corridor I heard him roar my name.

Rosie and I settled down in the theatre room later in our yoga pants and sweat tops. We knew no one would bother us other than Mrs B and she had enough on trying to get a dinner together for the wedding tomorrow. Seth had found a minister happy to come out to the house and perform the ceremony, the paperwork had somehow been rushed though and sorted by Jasper so all Rosie and I had to do was show up in the garden tomorrow at 6.00pm. We had decided we needed a giggle so we were busy looking through the extensive library Edward had both in his private collection and on Netflix. We'd decided on Bridesmaids to start and then Rosie wanted to do the Twilight Saga as they were her favourite films. Just as the first film started Alice breezed into the room carrying two bottles of champagne, a huge box of chocolates and what smelt like a fresh batch of cup cakes.

"Sorry I'm late ladies I only got the message about the impromptu celebration half an hour ago." Edward or Emmett must have called her, I never even thought about calling here, it will take me a while to get used to the fact I've now got two sisters in law.

The evening passed quickly with lots of laughs and drooling over the films. Alice turned Bridesmaids off and told Rosie it would give her nightmares, she brought up Magic Mike instead. The tone of the evening livened up as we danced along with Channing Tatum, taking it in turns to copy his moves. We seemed to get much better as the night went on and the champagne lowered our inhibitions. By the time we were half way through Magic Mike XXL it didn't really matter what was happening on screen, three bottles of champagne, several cup cakes and half a bottle of tequila we found behind the bar in the theatre room made for one hell of a night.

The next morning the tequila didn't seem such a great idea. I wasn't sure how I'd got from the theatre room to my bed but I was definitely in bed and naked apart from my panties. I had a vague recollection of dancing for Edward and stripping off my sweatshirt but other than that nothing. I groaned and looked at my bedside clock, it was 10.00am and I'm sure Alice mentioned something about being at her spa this afternoon. It was too early to even think about that, I took a drink of the water that had appeared by my bedside and snuggled back down for a few hours.

EPOV

I was still laughing after the watching the tapes of what went off last night, the three of them got absolutely smashed and had obviously forgotten about the security cameras. I saw a whole new side to Isabella as she knocked back glass after glass of champagne and then start on the tequila. I wasn't that happy at the films they were watching, I thought she was joking about the porn but apparently not. I'd put her to bed in the early hours after Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle and I had gone over the plans for Jacob Black and were happy we'd covered every avenue that could open up. As we broke up the meeting and had a drink and a cigar with Emmett, one of the security guys rang through and advised us to check the feed from the house. We had quite a giggle watching them stumble around trying to copy some dance moves when none of them even capable of standing up properly. As Alice started to remove her top, Jasper jumped up and raced to stop her, we followed after him to be greeted with the three girls stumbling about and screaming with laughter. It took a while and several attempts but I finally got Isabella stripped off and in to bed. I watched her until she fell asleep and I couldn't help but marvel at how much I loved her. She had bought warmth and laughter into my home and my heart and once again I wondered about whether we could have a double wedding tomorrow.

I was up and out early the next morning. Emmett, Seth, Quil and I were going visiting and just as my mother had taught me we went bearing gifts. The streets around Jacob Blacks apartment were quiet but he had obviously stepped up security. He had spotters on every corner and as soon as we pulled onto the street, even with my blacked out windows, you couldn't fail to see the chain working as the message was passed along I was on the block.

"Boss are you sure you want to walk straight in there, you know part of the deal is you have to die in a botched assassination attempt?" Seth asked as he drew the car to a standstill. I looked along the sidewalk, the area was mainly residential, a few neighbourhood stores, nothing that was a recognised chain. I was surprised the residents hadn't tried to move him on, there were kids playing out and about and elderly neighbours sat outside the local cafe sipping drinks. It was downtime America; we could have been anywhere really.

"I need to deal with this, set an example to anyone else who thinks they can take me out." I was not going to back down from this, I needed to face it head on.

"Okay Boss how do you want to play this?" Quil asked as we watched all of Black's 'gang' coming back to the apartment. The idiot didn't even give any thought to the fact we could barricade the door and burn them all while they sat wondering what I was up to. I wouldn't do that because we knew there were several other families that lived in the block that would be home now. Jasper had been thorough in his research and we knew who lived in each apartment and a basic knowledge of their movements.

"Okay you all know what you need to do, let's get this done so Emmett can get married" Seth and Quil got out of the car and nodded to the second car that had followed us in. Garrett got out and took Seth's place in the driver's seat. We waited until the activity on the street had slowed down and we were sure that all of Black's crew were in the apartment. Emmett sent a text to Seth then crushed the cheap plastic phone, wiped it clean and as we got out of the car he dropped it down the drain. Seth and Quil reappeared and we made our way into the apartment building.

"Everything okay?" I asked as we waited outside the apartment door.

"Just give it another minute or two to reach all of them and make sure they are all out."

Quil placed his ear against the door, "Can't hear anything Boss"

"Okay are you sure it's safe for us to go in, the last thing we need is for us to go under as well?" Emmett was not happy about what we had done, he just wanted to pull Black off the street, but this way we had everyone together. Seth had put a pipe under the door, and had pumped sleeping gas into the apartment. We knew we had about 30 minutes before anyone was able to move and wake up.

"It's safe but just to be sure we wear the masks. " Quil handed out what looked like contractors masks which had a small filter on the front. We all put the masks on and Emmett stepped forward and using this ever present bag of tools had the locked door open in seconds. The scene that met us was laughable. Twelve grown men all fast asleep spread out on the old sofas, the floor and a couple of recliners. We quickly got to work, donning clear plastic all in one cover-all that could easily be discarded and would keep the blood splatters off our skin and clothes. We would burn everything as soon as we were done but in the meantime we kept our hair and skin covered.

"Okay we need to take out Black and five more of the guys under him, Emmett pointed them out and we all nodded agreeing with him. Within five minutes Emmett had cut the throats of all six, one deep stroke for each of them that cut through both the vein and artery on either side of the neck.

The victims never woke up and the blood spray from the five of them made the room look like some acid tripping artist had thrown red paint everywhere. The smell caught in the back of my throat as I watched Emmett at work, it smelt like I would expect an abattoir to. The air was full of the rusty, salty smell of raw meat that anyone who barbeques regularly would have recognised.

"All done, let's get out of here." Quil opened the apartment door and checked the hallway, there was no one around so we calmly left the apartment and Emmett relocked the door. As we got down onto the next landing we all took the masks and coverall off, pushing them into a bag Seth had ready.

Did I feel remorse, Fuck No; they were planning on killing me and Carlisle and for a fucking measly million bucks. This sent a message, I knew what was happening around me and anyone who wanted to mess with me paid the price.

We waited in the foyer for Seth to bring the Range Rover up to the building door and then we calmly left the scene. After a quick visit to the clean up warehouse, we all showered changed every item of clothes we had on and set the incinerator going. Everything was burned, shoes included.

"Right let's get the fuck out of here, I have a wedding to get to" Emmett shouted as he made his way to the door. I looked at my watch, it was 10.30am and we had already dealt with the important business for the day.

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As ever, thank you to the incredible LL for making this readable and putting up with me sending her random questions at all hours of the day.

Also to everyone who reads and reviews, I can no longer keep up with answering your reviews but I do read everyone. Thank you so much for being as invested in this story as we are.


	53. Chapter 53

TNMC

Chapter 51

EPOV

The ride back to the house was strange. Emmett had switched almost eerily out of killer mode and into 'soon to be bridegroom' mode. With the blood out of his mind in the same amount of time it took to burn the overalls he was now moaning that he wasn't going to be able to have the stag night he'd always dreamed of.

"You could always delay the wedding," Seth interrupted his monologue, "it wouldn't take long to organise a week in Vegas. We could paint the town red then you could get married after that." He was driving extremely sedately from the warehouse back to the house. The last thing that we needed at the present time was to attract unwanted attention from the police or be photographed speeding anywhere near the scene of the massacre.

"The timing is not right for all of us to fly off to Vegas and leave the families at home," I reminded them. The idea of Isabella being taken in for questioning by Jarvis again and me not being here to help her was unimaginable. "Think Emmett, they know about Rosie too now."

He needed to understand that Rosie might not stand up to things as easily as my Isabella did. The thought of that sick bastard taking her to the warehouse again made my skin crawl, as soon as I had dealt with Denali and my mother he was next. His punishment would be slow and very painful and the chances of his body ever being found were next to zero. I had an image of the old fashioned methods, Jarvis tied down in the pig pen alive while the wild boars feasted on him. With their razor sharp teeth they could and did chew through bones. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of the best forensic teams in the country sifting through pig shit to find Jarvis's body parts.

"Or we could just have a stag party later when you have the official wedding." I threw my suggestion in to try to staunch his stripper and shots monologue again. "Fuck no!" he exclaimed, "There's no point having the party later I'll already be married then it won't be right."

"I'm glad to hear it," I told him smugly, "there's no point getting married if you are already thinking of cheating on her with a cheap ass stripper." I was only goading him. I knew deep down he was like me and Rosie was his 'ever after.'

As the two cars pulled back into the estate the rest of the crew met us they filled us in on the aftermath of what had been a good morning's work.

"Everyone in the Office for a de brief in thirty minutes." I announced, as we arrived back home. I left Emmett still droning on and eagerly went to find Isabella. As I punched the number in the keypad and entered our suite of rooms I could hear her moaning and groaning. My first thought came from my dick and I wondered if she was pleasuring herself. I hovered, wondering whether I should join her. As I opened the bedroom door my rapidly growing dick deflated instantly. Isabella was in the en suite hunched over the toilet bowl in just her tiny thong as she retched. The scent of last night's champagne and tequila hung in the air. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. It took me a few moments but I finally made my way across the room and helped her, holding back her hair and rubbing her back as she finally emptied her stomach.

"I'm sorry Edward, I'm never drinking again," she said as she finally collapsed into my arms. I had a choice. I could put her back in bed and let her sleep the afternoon away or I could risk her wrath and help her make the noon appointment she had at Alice's. I didn't want either of us to attract Alice's ire so I took the second option, dumped her in the shower stall and turned the cold water on full. Her vocabulary was on par with mine and she used a few words and choice phrases I hadn't heard her utter before, but she calmed down as the water finally warmed up.

"Don't you ever think you are going to put your dick in me again!" she yelled. "That was just fucking cruel!" Her voice rose an octave or two as I turned the water cold again to make sure she was sober and awake.

"You'll thank me in about an hour when the painkillers have kicked in," I told her, enjoying the look of her goose pimpled flesh and hard nipples before turning the water back to warm to let her wash her hair. I stood and watched her, her hands rubbing as that gorgeous mass of brown waves. I loved burying my hands in it and pulling on it. I wondered if she'd let me rub my dick in it but I shut that idea down, now was not a good time to be asking or even thinking things like that.

"I'm off to sort some business out," I told her. "Alice is expecting you and Rosie at noon. You're going to be late. I'll call her and tell her to come here." She muttered a thank you but I didn't want to tell her that it wasn't just convenience. I was making sure that she was close to both me and the security detail.

I made my way back to the office where everyone else was already assembled. The mood was jubilant, almost triumphant. These were tough guys but the only way of making sense of these events was to focus on the positives. We went over the mornings work and as Whitlock made notes we discussed the possible fall out. I knew I needed to speak to Stephan; he was the head of the Romanian gang I allowed to distribute locally. Jacob was a lowly cog in the drug chain but I'd manage to just take out one of his local main distribution points. I made sure everyone had disposed of everything they needed to and that Alex had erased our arrival and departure on the surrounding traffic cameras then dismissed everyone except Emmett and my father.

I made the call to Stephan and after a little animosity because I had not informed him before hand everything was sorted and we agreed who should be allowed to take up Black's pitch. It was as good as I could have expected. The Romanians think they have far more say in what happens than they do. I have to keep them in check and now and again remind them this is my territory and they operate here because I let them.

To make a good will gesture I invited him and his wife Irina to the wedding this afternoon. Mrs B wouldn't be happy I'd added to the numbers at this late stage but it was needed to keep the peace.

"Right down to business," I began. "I will make sure that everyone knows if they take up the hit, the same thing will happen to them that happened to Black. That should give them something to think about. I will also get Alex to keep an ear out just in case anyone gets brave." I turned to my father. "In the meantime Garrett is your permanent driver. Make sure he checks the car constantly. The easiest death is cut brake pipes or a runaway truck hitting you. He has to be on his guard, which is what we fucking pay him for anyway." Both of them were on board but we were still dancing round the main problem none of us wanted to deal with.

"Emmett, have you invited your mother for the ceremony this afternoon?" Carlisle asked.

"No, why the fuck would I?" Emmett looked at him like he'd lost his marbles.

"Emmett you're getting married? Why wouldn't you have your mother and my oldest friend attend?" The look on Carlisle face was grim but I understood what he was saying.

"He's right," I told him, although the words felt as if they would stick in my throat, "If we were doing this last week you wouldn't have hesitated to invite them both. If we want to keep the element of surprise we need to invite them. What sort of message would it send if they find out from someone else you got married without telling either of them?" He had to understand we needed to put on a united front and that included Mother and Denali.

"I don't want her here ruining the day," Emmett replied with a hint of petulance. She will make it about her and it's not. It's about me and Rosie." Emmett did have a point. Given the slightest opportunity she would try and take over and make sure all her country club 'friends' were invited.

"Look, son," said Carlisle with a heavy sigh. "This is a quick wedding, it serves a purpose. You can have a big party and do it properly in the summer. I'm sure that you won't need to worry about either of them by then." Carlisle was as subtle as he could be, they would be dead long before then.

"You're right," replied Emmett. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, furrows etched into his forehead. "Can you make the call Edward?" I nodded and picked up the phone. "Wait," continued Emmett, "leave it as late as possible. I want to give her as little time as possible to interfere."

"Sure," I nodded, putting the phone back down. She was still not answering her private mobile, probably because she knew it would be being tracked. It was early afternoon when I finally picked up the phone and rang her house, guessing that she would have had sufficient time to get home. A member of the house staff answered. When I asked where she was he explained that Mrs Cullen had just returned from a function and was freshening up. "Can you connect me to the phone in her suite please? It's important." He huffed a little but knew who I was and finally redirected the call.

"Edward," she greeted me frostily. "I hope this is important. I'm exhausted and very much in need of a nap." I ignored her and ploughed on with the purpose of my call.

"I need you to be at my home tonight for round 5.00pm? Can you be here?" I was vague with her because I wanted to see want she would say.

"I have a dinner I need to attend at 7.00pm," she paused for a moment. I imagined her rearranging her features to try to sound more sincere. "I'm afraid I can't." Her response seemed almost rehearsed. I wondered how much of her previous frostiness had been down to trying to cover her tracks?

"Aren't you the tiniest bit curious as to why I want you to come?"

"Edward," I could almost hear her looking at her watch. "I really don't have time to play games, what can possibly be so important that I have to change plans that I have had for some time and am looking forward to?"

The phone was on speaker. I glanced at Carlisle. He raised his eyebrows at me and I knew what he was thinking, mother and Denali must have some sort of celebration planned. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Denali so that the two of them wouldn't have time to confer.

"Emmett is getting married this afternoon!" I tried to put some effort into sounding surprised, as if I had only just found out as well. "It's a bit short notice but he would like you to be here." Emmett leaned over the desk. I knew he wanted her to be happy for him. I didn't want to see him hurt but if she was appropriately happy I was going to have start all over again getting him on board with the bigger disposal plan.

"Oh good lord," she exclaimed, "don't tell me he has got that ghastly cheap slapper pregnant? If he has I expect you Edward to talk him out of this wedding and into the nearest abortion clinic instead. Fix this and call me when it's dealt with." With that she hung up on me. I watched Emmett's face as the last shreds of parental love disappeared.

"I just spoke to Denali," he put his phone back in his pocket. "Apparently he has no plans tonight and will be here at 5.00pm. Wherever your mother is going it isn't with him."

We spent the next hour making sure the security teams were in place for the afternoon and that new trackers had been fitted to the car we allocated to mother. If she only had one car at her disposal we had more chance of keeping tabs on her. The new gate man we sent to her home was charged with making sure we were aware of any limos or town cars coming to pick her up. The new team of security personnel she didn't know where on her tail 24 hours a day. They knew I wanted images of everyone she spoke to as well as timings and venues.

"Right, let's get you married!" It was fast approaching 3.00 pm and I needed to make sure Isabella had forgiven me and Alice had everything she needed. I hadn't heard any complaining so I presumed everything was going according to plan. I stood and looked out through the patio doors in my office onto the garden. There was a marquee erected and flowers in huge vases everywhere. So much for a small affair. I opened the door and stepped out on to the patio. Mrs B was rushing round barking orders at the gardeners. The caterers were bringing in huge silver dishes and I could see a huge mound of chairs with silver bows ties around them.

I closed the doors, locked them and left the office making sure the door was locked and the security system that just covered my office was set. There were going to be people from outside roaming around inside today and I didn't want any mistakes or people poking around in places they shouldn't be.

Isabella and Rosie looked beautiful, the latter not very bridal but for a hurriedly pulled together event she looked extremely happy so that was the most important thing. I think I was forgiven. I hadn't really had much chance to find out as Alice had kept them hostage in the pool house. Apparently the light was better in there to do their makeup and they had all the facilities they needed. I just had a quick shower and threw a suit on before going downstairs to meet Denali.

Part of me didn't expect him to arrive. I presumed Mother's plans would have included him but they obviously didn't. He arrived on his own, with his designated driver, and after accepting a large glass of the imported scotch we kept especially for him he asked where my mother was.

"She had plans tonight she wasn't prepared to change." I explained and the shock on his face confirmed he had no idea where she was.

As the day went on more and more people arrived in a convoy of matching limos. People of all ages started to disembark and I watched in complete awe as Emmett welcomed them all by name and introduced me to several generations of Rosie's family.

"I thought this was a small quiet do, where the fuck have all these people come from?" I exclaimed to no one in particular as Grandma grabbed Emmett's cheek and told him she wished she was 50 years younger.

We took our places in the marquee and I did what every good big brother should do, I offered to cause a distraction if he wanted to fuck off before it was too late.

"Bro I couldn't be happier, I don't care if this a rushed affair I know this is the right thing to do. I can't wait for Rosie to be my wife" The smile on his face was not to be argued with and it made me wonder once more when my wedding day would be. As Emmett started to get restless waiting for Rosie to appear I made a deal with myself, if Rosie was on time I'd ask Isabella today to marry me.

As five o'clock came round Rosie was being walked down the make shift aisle by her father. They both glowed with happiness and I wondered about Chief Swan and whether he would give Isabella away. I stood and listened as they said their vows and handed over the ring we picked up the ladies were out dress shopping.

My best man speech was tame, funny but tame, all the time I was speaking I was censoring myself, he was going to be my best man soon hopefully and I was well aware he had no filter. As Emmett stood to give his speech I looked over at my Isabella. She looked radiant and I knew I needed to make her mine as soon as possible. She looked up and caught me looking at her; her glorious smile was natural and infectious and I had a sudden urge to touch her. I was caught in her gaze and I could feel the heat radiating from her, it was pulling me towards her. As I started to rise from my chair Emmett told a completely inappropriate joke that had the marquee in uproar. The mood was broken between us and I sat back down and picked up my champagne glass, emptying the contents in one go.

As Emmett and Rosie took to the dance floor for the first dance I wondered where the fuck the eight piece band and portable dance floor had come from. I looked over at my father. He was sat with Denali, chatting and laughing as everyone here would expect. Stephan sat with them. I was so proud of my father acting so normally, no one would ever know by looking at the group what was about to happen.

I caught Whitlock's eye and gestured for him to put my sister down and get over to me. As he stood to my side I turned my back on the fifty guests on my lawn and asked him a question. "If I kill Denali this afternoon, do you think we could get the streets and the Feds to believe Stephan and the Romanians were responsible?"

I saw his eyebrows rise as he went through the possibilities of what I'd just asked him.

"You know Stephan has a particular method he uses?" He spoke idly as he continued running through the possibilities. I nodded, I was well aware Stephen liked to use an industrial grade plastic bag; he took his time, suffocating his victims until their eyes popped out.

"I don't see how we could get away with it without killing Stephan, but if you do that we run the risk of a turf war, do you really want one of those at the moment?" He was talking sense and I gave some more thought to what he'd said.

"You could of course ask Stephan to do the deed for you. You would owe him a favour but it would be worth it. We could make sure you had a cast Iron alibi when it happened. You will be the main suspect with Jarvis, so we would stop that before he even has time to put your name in the frame."

As ever Jasper made sense so I relaxed as much as I could, knowing Stephan would take care of one of my problems I just needed to know now where my mother was and who with.

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	54. Chapter 54

TNMC

Chapter 52

EPOV

The discussion with Stephan was a lot easier than I expected. As soon as I explained that Denali was in league with the Feds he wasn't interested in any other information. All I needed to let him know was when and where and he would take care of the rest. When was definitely going to be the problem, we needed to use his remaining time wisely to get as much information as possible without letting on that we knew his dirty secret. Stephan was all for doing it here at the wedding party but I needed time to prepare a high profile alibi. I also still needed to know exactly why my mother was at a five star hotel down town.

I excused myself and slipped back into my private rooms to check on progress. The security detail was sure she wasn't in the public areas but after hacking the system we couldn't find a room reservation for her either. We trawled through the list of reservations for that night but none of the names jumped out as a potential pseudonym. I made them check the back of the hotel to make sure she hadn't gone through the kitchen or some shit like that, but they were sure she was upstairs.

"What the fuck is she doing there?" I asked Jasper as we looked once again at the reservation listing. The names all blurred into one. My forehead felt tight, stressed. I put the list down, suddenly sure that there were no truths hidden in plain sight on the list.

"She could have paid cash and asked them not to register her." He didn't know my mother like I did. She would not lower herself to ask the receptionist to sort that out for her. Now if she knew the manger she would definitely ask him or her for the favour, probably promising a high end charity event in exchange.

"Find out who the manager or owner is and let's start there." Jasper nodded and was soon tapping on his lap top and making calls all at the same time. I was hoping that Alice was keeping Isabella and Irina busy. I hadn't been back out to the small reception for the last hour and I knew I was in enough trouble from the shower incident earlier never mind the fact work had kept me in my office on and off all evening. I'd done my job as best man, delivering an impromptu speech about my brother growing up. For a quick simple ceremony, it had morphed into a full wedding party for fifty close friends and family. Rosie's parents, grandparent and other members of her extended family were here. There was even a fucking bouncy castle for the kids to play on.

"Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation." I turned my attention back to Jasper. He put the phone down. "The hotel is privately owned, it's what they call a boutique hotel, small, very private, discreet and full of classy antiques." He delivered the words factually, without emotion, not even a hint of smugness that he was the one to find this information. "There is a new owner, no one is quite sure who it is but the manager was able to tell me that there is a standing arrangement for the best suite in the hotel not to be let at any cost so the owner can use it. Apparently the owner is in residence with meals on order to be delivered tonight then again tomorrow morning."

"Esme is there in the suite?" I knew he was right but the big question remains who was with her?

"That is my assumption," he replied, carefully. My opinion of Jasper had really gone up over the last few days. He somehow keeps cool when I feel my own insides turning to lava."Maybe Alex can plant some sort of device in the room service tray?"

"Yes let's try." My first option would have been to drive downtown and kick that door down to see who was behind it but I knew he was talking sense. "Even if we can't get anything today who knows what we will overhear." A little blackmail information never hurt, it was amazing what you could achieve if you had the right information on someone. "Get Alex on the case of tracking down the owner too." "We need to get back out there Jasper," I cocked my head towards the door with a half smile, "or we're going to be in deep shit." He nodded and smiled back. I locked up and set the alarm again before making my way through the house to the garden. I got waylaid a couple of times, once by Alex and then again by some giggly relative of Rosie's but I dismissed her as quickly as was polite. When I finally arrived back in the marquee I looked for Isabella. She was on the dance floor with two men I didn't know. My blood pressure rose sharply as I watched one of them lean forward and rest his hand on her waist as he pulled her close to speak into her ear. The music wasn't that loud for fuck's sake, we weren't at a rock concert.

"Steady boy," Emmett appeared behind me and stopped me from walking across the marquee. "They're Rosie's cousins and well aware she is yours, I've already warned them they can't touch." "Bella can look after herself, watch." Emmett was laughing, I'm not sure whether that was at me or at what was about to happen. Isabella took a step back so the guys hand dropped from her waist and he was no longer in her personal space. She held up her hand up to stop him following her then made her apologises and left the dance floor. She went back to the table we'd been sat at for dinner and sat with Jasper, Alice and Rosie. Rosie looked a little dishevelled, wild-eyed, her hair messy and feet bare. She looked even more radiant than she had when she had been perfectly done up for the ceremony. She looked over at Emmett and as her eyes locked with his they shone fiercely. "Fill me in before I leave," I could almost feel the pull of his new wife. Part of my stomach tightened as I wondered whether she would pull him away from this life. "Rosie and I are staying in a hotel on the coast for a couple of nights. If you need me just call me." Emmett was watching Rosie, his eyes never left her as she laughed and chatted with everyone who came up to the table. I knew that I wouldn't ring him unless absolutely necessary. Isabella was also laughing but I could see she was scanning the marquee looking for something. When her eyes finally met mine I saw her shoulders drop and her smile widen. It was then I realised, he had been looking for me. She half stood and I knew she was trying to decide whether to come over to me. I shook my head and indicated I needed five minutes before I turned and led Emmett away to fill him in on what we had found out so far.

"Well I'm glad Stephan is sorting that problem, I really wasn't looking forward to doing that one," he said before patting me on the back and walking into the marquee in front of me. I finally made it back to Isabella and took her straight onto the dance floor.

"I thought that scene in the Godfather was pure Hollywood. " Her body was warm from dancing and I could smell the exquisite wine on her breath. "I really didn't realise you had to do so much business on a family wedding day." I roared with laughter as I swung her round to the music. Frank Sinatra was singing 'Fly me to the moon' and I felt like I could quite easily reach the moon now she was in my arms.

"Even the music is gangster related," I told her, "everyone knows old Frank had Mafia connections." She laughed as I patted her ass cheek and gave it a squeeze. "You know we don't mention Uncle Frank and his need to be in the spotlight, black sheep of the family." I was in a playful mood all of a sudden. It didn't matter what was happening around me, I had her in my arms where she should be. We laughed and sang along to the lyrics as she teased me about me being the new black sheep of the family because I was divorced. I loved this side of Isabella, the playful, light side that I saw in private, she was wickedly funny, sharp and sexy as hell. What more could I ask for?

"Marry me Isabella Swan, I love you. Marry me here, now." I stopped dancing and looked into her eyes, I wanted her to realise I was deadly serious.

"You finally get round to asking me with a half decent proposal and it's in the middle of your brother's wedding?" I didn't understand what the problem was, Emmett was married now. Job done as far as I was concerned. She looked round to see if anyone was looking at us before looking back at me.

"I will not take the spot light away from Rosie and Emmett's it's their day, ask me again when it's just the two of us and you have my ring." She was smiling with her whole face, her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks flushed and her nose wrinkled as she fought to keep a huge grin under control.

"I don't understand why you can't answer me now? If I do ask you later when we are on our own, tell me will you say yes?" I was desperate to know, I was desperate to get her alone and all these people to fuck off home. I made a mental note to tell the security team to start escorting people off five minutes after Emmett and Rosie left.

"Well depending on how nice you ask and the size of the diamond in my ring I'm pretty sure you will get the answer you want." I picked her up and swung her round and about a dozen jaws dropped as they witnessed my antics. I was going to have to shoot someone soon just to repair my reputation.

"You don't think I have a ring do you?" I asked knowing full well she had no idea it was already locked in the safe in my office. I'd had it a week after I met her. It was from Tiffany's. I bought it at the same time I bought all her gifts from there. It struck me that that the previous gifts hadn't gone too well but we were in a different place now and she had just more or less told me she would say yes.

"Do you have a ring?" There was doubt in her voice. She really wasn't sure and I loved how the little lines on her forehead appeared as she tried to read my face.

I ignored the question and put to good use the dance lessons my Mother had made me take when I was a lot younger. I could hold my own on the dance floor. Unfortunately Isabella couldn't be faulted on enthusiasm but lacked a little in style. After she stood on my foot for the third time I slowed down and just did the gentle sway everyone else seemed to be doing.

"Boss," a voice broke into our perfect little bubble, "sorry to interrupt but there is a call you need to take." It was Paul, he wouldn't have done that if it wasn't deemed important so I dropped my hold on Isabella. My arms instantly felt heavy and I had a strange feeling it was going to be a long time before she was back in them. We made the short trip to my office and as soon as I was behind my desk the house phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Is this line secure?" It was Jason, one of the guys posted to Mother's detail.

"All my lines are secured," I barked, "what do you have for me?" I was impatient to get back to Isabella but I knew this had to be important.

"We have managed to find the owner of the hotel, while it is a private individual named on some of the papers the actual owner of the hotel is a dummy corporation."

"Go on."

"Well you own the hotel, or one of your corporations does. I just checked with Mr Whitlock and he confirmed the dummy corporation is one of yours, the named owner is Mrs Esme Cullen."

I slumped down into my chair, what the fuck was going on? When did my mother buy a hotel and how the hell did she manage to buy it with my money without anyone realising?

"Excellent job Jason," I told him. "Stay on it and find out everything you can. I still want to know who the fuck she is there with." I slammed the phone down and just before I could shout for him Whitlock came into the office. Any other day I would have reminded him to knock but his hands were full of papers and ledgers.

"I'm guessing at how she has managed to get the paperwork done," he told me, "but I've found out how she has financed it." He sat down, opened a heavy ledger and turned it around to show me.

"Jasper, in the age of technology, why do you still have a battered old ledger that is hand written?" It was strange to see the something so antiquated especially when he always had his lap top with him.

"This can be destroyed in seconds" he explained, "its not recoverable either, unlike electronic records which always leave some sort of cyber breadcrumb." I accepted his answer as I looked over the records.

"In the last year Esme has asked for several million dollars in donations to new charities. When I asked her about her new choices she told me she wanted to start helping some of the smaller less well known charities in the state. I checked them out, they are all legit so I went ahead and authorised the transfers to her. With them being new projects she wanted me to transfer the money in in stages so they weren't tempted to go mad and spend it all in one go. I've just checked with the treasurers of several of these charities and they haven't received a cent yet from her. All of them are still waiting for the funds she spoke to them about."

"So you think she has used that cash to buy the hotel?" A slightly queasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Who was this woman? Who could embezzle from the charities that she had spent so many years supporting? Jasper nodded as he started tapping away on his lap top. "The accounts I transferred the cash into have all been closed. I would guess that as soon as the transfer went into accounts she had set up she moved the cash to another account and closed the original one. I have Alex and Paul looking at the trail of the cash but she is cleverer than just putting it in her own account. I presume it went off shore until she had enough to buy the hotel. Has she travelled out of the company recently?"

"She hasn't been out of the country as far as I know but she did go to visit some friends in the South about eight or nine months ago. She refused to take security with her but Tanya accompanied her as far as I can remember. They were gone about a week."

"I suggest you check the flight log, see if they changed the flight plan at the last moment. You are looking for Europe or maybe the Cayman Islands, if it did go off shore." I stood up and poured us both a drink, things were moving fast and I wasn't sure yet how this all fit together but I did I was sure that it did.

I dialled through to the private line of the company who kept our private jets in order for us. Within minutes I knew that my mother and Tanya had not been to New Orleans as they had originally booked. Instead they had actually flown to a private airfield in Mexico. They had been picked up a week later from the same place.

"But what the fuck were they doing in Mexico?"


	55. Chapter 55

TNMC

Chapter 53

EPOV

It didn't take long, a few more calls and we knew they had flown direct to a private landing strip at an exclusive boutique resort about an hour from Manzanillo International Airport.

Alex almost immediately located a resort called Cuixmala, a remote luxury hotel with luxurious private villas. The website boasted of 5 stars and guaranteed privacy. Everything was to hand, nothing too much trouble. Nevertheless, despite their claims to discretion we easily discovered Tanya had booked the most exclusive villa for the week for two guests. Anyone would have presumed it was for a couple not a mother and daughter in law.

"Was this just a vacation?" I literally scratched my head as I puzzled over what this new information mean. "She could have changed her mind. I guess that Tanya could have booked it as a surprise for me and then taken Esme instead?"

Whitlock looked up from his laptop and sighed, shaking his head. Who was I kidding? She wouldn't have given me a thought. If she'd have taken anyone it would have been that prick James Hunter. As I thought about them sneaking around and thinking they were being so clever in deceiving me I wondered how many nights away and luxury breaks I'd paid for the two of them to have. Hunter had nowhere near enough cash to keep Tanya in the life style she demanded, which was probably one of the things that drove him to skim off my money. The cocky bastard had been using my money to romance and seduce my wife. With a sigh I undid the ridiculous bow tie Isabella had given me to wear, sat back in my chair and opened the top button on my shirt collar. I put my feet up on the desk and had a good long swallow of scotch. The mellow warmth as it slipped down my throat and settled in my stomach centred me and brought my attention back to the room. Jasper looked at me, his eyebrows raised as he silently asked for permission to carry on.

"This was a business trip being passed off as a vacation," said Jasper. He raised his head from the laptop and fixed me with an excited gaze. "Alex has somehow," he shook his head, barely able to get the words out. "I'm not even going to try and comprehend how, managed to find the cash. Apparently it went to a bank in Tomatlan nearby the resort they stayed at."

"So you think they went there to pick the money up and bring it back?" This changed things immensely. This was pre divorce, before I'd even mentioned my unhappiness to my family.

"They definitely went to pick it up," verified Jasper, "the account was emptied and closed the day before they flew home with $7.2 million in cash."

"When did the paperwork go through on the purchase of the hotel?" My mind was racing trying to put together pieces but there were still some missing at the moment. I needed answers and quickly.

"Is this theft?" I asked Jasper wondering what charges would stick if the authorities looked in to this. All the cash she'd received was from several of our legitimate companies. It was an excellent tax write off, classed as a deductable donation so long as no one checked up they hadn't received the sizeable sum at the other end.

"Legally no, morally maybe," Jasper grimaced. "But all that's happened is we have moved money from one set of companies to fund the purchase of a new business. I will need to get in touch with the accountants to make a few changes so we don't attract the attention of the IRS ,Cullen Corp became the ultimate owner of the hotel downtown three months ago, I dread to think where the cash was stored until then."

My father snorted, knowing full well what I was going to say.

"Knowing my mother probably in her closet," I told Jasper. Carlisle nodded. "Her home has the best security system money can buy and everyone who works on the property is a trained killer."

Something was bothering me but it was still too far back in my brain to reach. I needed to pace, pacing always helped. I looked out at the lawn and the marquee, the wedding party was definitely winding down. Emmett and Rosalie had already left for a couple of days by the coast and my father had joined Jasper and I in my office. I had no idea where Isabella was, I'd told her I'd be five minutes and that was over an hour ago. I tried to peer into the marquee, looking for a flash of lilac material or her long beautiful hair but all I could see was Denali. He was speaking on his phone and from the way his face was distorted he didn't like what he was hearing. Was he asking my mother where she was? He would get a shock if she told him the truth, something I very much doubted. As he looked at his phone I knew instinctively that whomever he'd been speaking to had hung up on him abruptly. He looked towards my office and started walking towards the house. He had been in my house many many times, both as Tanya's father and as my Father's consigliore so he knew where we would be.

"What is our next move?" Carlisle asked as he helped himself to a scotch.

"We need to know who Esme is with and who she is meeting." I looked at Jasper. "Denali is on his way here so clear the decks." Within seconds Jasper had everything saved and closed down and the ledgers closed and piled in a heap by his feet. The three of us sat waiting for the inevitable knock on the door.

"Ready?" I asked my father quietly as Jasper got up to let Denali in.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how ready I am," he said as he emptied the scotch down his throat and got up ready to pour another one. As if by some force of habit he automatically poured a second measure. I knew it was for Denali but as he obviously realised what he'd done he cursed quietly and passed it to me. I accepted it even though I still had a glass on my desk in front of me.

"I wondered where you had all disappeared to," said Denali, bursting into the office. "Surely you aren't doing business on a family occasion?" I wasn't sure whether Denali was digging for info or just trying to make polite conversation but either way he looked as uncomfortable as the rest of us felt.

To break the ice I got up and poured him a drink, telling them what Isabella had said about the Godfather movie. As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I'd made a mistake. The last thing he needed was proof I'd been speaking of the family business to her.

"Oh so you have told Isabella about your life then"" His face lit up. The look on his face was priceless, he was trying to contain his excitement at what he could probably pass onto Jarvis.

"Of course he hasn't you old fool," said Carlisle, loudly. "Isabella was joking about doing business at a wedding that's all." My father was quick to step in and cover me and protect Isabella but the venom in his voice was unmistakeable. Denali's eyes widened to the point that I was reminded of Stephan's torture method. If we couldn't make this right Denali's demise had just moved up the agenda.

"What's the matter, have you had a falling out with the lovely Liz?" The sneer on his face as he talked about my father's mistress was very telling, we would need to speed things up. If I hadn't known the man my entire life I would have said he was openly trying to antagonise his oldest friend and ally.

"Seeing as Esme is not in attendance I thought you might actually have allowed Liz to come today." He paused, as if the thought had just occurred to him but the look on his face betrayed his intention. "Where is your mother by the way Edward? It must be something important to keep her away from her own son's wedding?"

He sat looking at me waiting for an explanation. I took a second to decide, glancing at my father and waiting for his nod of agreement. I pressed a button under my desk discreetly, informing the security detail to come to the office. "That is a very good question sir." I smiled at him. "You see we've just found out she is meeting someone downtown in a very private suite of a hotel she bought with family money a few months ago. Have you got any idea who she is meeting?"

The room stayed silent as we waited for him to digest the information. I had no idea what she had said to him minutes before but it was obviously something very different to what I'd just told him. It should have been my father upset at the deception my Mother had orchestrated but he sat passive, his face blank as we watched Denali fight to not fall apart. He sipped on his scotch as he tried to arrange the information we had given him and decide if we were telling the truth. His expressive face was easy to read, he was out of practice, the last couple of years in retirement taking their toll.

"Why would I have any idea where she is?" He had obviously decided to bluff. "What your mother gets up to is no concern of mine."

"Really my friend," Carlisle said in a strange, flat, calm tone that had more menace than if he had screamed the words at his former friend. I'd have thought since you were keeping her bed warm she would have least have had the decency to tell you what she was up to."

Denali went white, then red and finally settled on a strange purple colour. For a second I thought nature was going to do our job for us and he was going to have a stroke or a heart attack right here in the office in front of us but unfortunately not. He took a slug of the scotch I'd passed him, taking those precious few seconds to try and decide what to say to us.

"Carlisle," he replied in a wheedling tone, "you haven't had any sort of relationship with Esme for many years, only being seen together in public when you needed to be. Surely you can't begrudge us both the happiness we have finally found?" I had to applaud his balls, he'd just confirmed they were together.

"Does your wife know?" Carlisle continued. "How does she feel about you having an affair with one of her closet friends?"

"I have every intention of telling her. I'm working with my accountant to make sure she is well provided for and as soon as everything is sorted I will be asking her a divorce."

"So what you actually mean," I butted in, anger rising like bile, "is you are hiding your assets so she gets the bare minimum. What about Tanya, will you be providing for her?" I was appalled that he could treat his wife like that. They had been married nearly forty years and he had enough money to make sure the next few generations wouldn't have to worry. My aunt shouldn't have to worry about anything.

"Tanya has been stupid," he said, rounding on me, the first hint of anger creeping into his tone. "She should never have let you divorce her. You both should have carried on having your own private lives but putting on a united front when you needed to. She will have to pay for her mistakes, she knows I've changed my will to only provide her with a basic allowance, no lump sum when I'm gone."

"Interesting, so where does the bulk of your money go in your new will?" Jasper asked, he'd been listening quietly and I'd almost forgotten he was actually there.

"None of your damn business where my money goes boy," he snapped in answer.

"No please I'm interested godfather," I took up the line of questioning, "where does the bulk of your estate go if not to your daughter or your wife?" It crossed my mind that if he said me we had a problem, I would be implemented if he had a suspicious death.

"Everything goes to Esme," he said, indignant, "we have both written new wills leaving everything to each other, we decided that was the best course of action given the family history."

I looked at Jasper and he nodded. He had all of the information that he needed to find those wills to see if they actually existed. If they did and they had left everything to each other our plans to kill them both just got a little more complicated.

Esme's POV

"I don't know how much longer Ican keep this doing this, it's so hard letting that disgusting old letch crawl all over my body." I shuddered as I pictured Denali in all his naked glory, prancing round the room thinking he still looked like he did many years ago when we first met. "It was bad enough having to let Carlisle do it but at least I was able to put a stop to that once I had given him his heir, a spare and the archetypal little mafia princess."

I was lying naked on the bed in my recently renovated private suite. Everything had been designed to my exact specifications. It was my idea of heaven and no one else would ever get to stay in this suite as only two people in the whole world had a key to it. It was for the times when I needed to get away, to recharge and to spend time with my lover.

I turned and looked at her, the real love of my life. I knew at the moment the love was one way and she didn't feel the same about me yet but I was willing to take what I could get. We had been sleeping together on and off for years. She wanted me, but she wasn't ready to admit it to herself. I knew she had male lovers but her unhappy marriage was the cause of that, she was looking for that connection you get when two souls merge. She had found it with me, she just didn't recognise it yet but it was why she always came back to me.

It had been a while since I'd been able to enjoy her touch. It hadn't been safe for us to get together but now we had somewhere safe to meet we had no excuse not to spend more time together. Her soft feminine fingers caused goose bumps on my body as they touched me in the places no man had ever been able to find.

For a few hours I was able to forget all the double dealings as I played most of my family against each other. My ultimate goal was that they would all kill each other, leaving me to disappear into the sunset with enough money to spend the rest of my life to be in abject luxury and hopefully convince my lover to come with me. I had everything set up, a beautiful house in Mexico bought and paid for, several bank accounts already flush with millions of dollars and new identities for both of us. All I needed now was for the hit I'd taken out on my husband and first born to be sorted, then I could implicate Denali in their death and Emmett would step up and sort him out leaving the way clear for me to collect everything I needed before disappearing.

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I am absolutely amazed we have all but reached 4k reviews. Thank you so much for your support I love reading all your reviews. Some of you are getting very close to understanding what's going on and I know today's chapter will confirm or completely surprise some of you. I look forward to your comments after this chapter.

I think someone may have pimped out the story in the last week as I've had a load of new readers, if you know who has please let me know so I can say thank you .


	56. Chapter 56

TNMC

Chapter 54

EPOV

It was not a hard decision to make in the end. We needed to keep Denali and my mother apart, we couldn't afford for them to discuss our little meeting in the office and I also really needed to know if those new wills existed. My signal to the security team meant there would be a welcoming committee waiting in the hallway. My mind was working overtime as I tried to think ahead as to where we could take Denali and how I would explain my absence to Isabella and the rest of the guests. I had mixed feelings on how involved to let Carlisle get and whether I should let Stephan loose just yet or not. I cursed the dreadful situation. If this was a rival or an employee I wouldn't hesitate to make the decisions that needed making. However, when the implications of my next actions had the potential to cast a shadow over this family for years to come it was much harder to think clearly.

All the time I was thinking I was listening to my father and Denali. They were carrying on a conversation that was full of thinly disguised sarcasm and veiled threats. It saddened me to see a friendship of nearly fifty years disintegrate in front of my eyes. To say that Denali had worked so closely with my father for so many years he was missing all of the signals that should have warned him to shut up and keep quiet. The creaking of the chair arm as my father gripped it, his knuckles becoming almost translucent as the skin was stretched to its limit focused my thoughts. I needed to step in and head off the inevitable outcome but I was strangely fascinated, it was like watching a film unfold in front of me. Denali was so wrapped up in his own self importance, he seemed to have forgotten all the rules we live by.

As my father repositioned himself in the chair I knew I had to act. He had moved so he could reach for the gun positioned under his arm. Part of me wanted to continue watching but I had the strangest thought; if I was ever going to fuck Isabella in here again I really didn't want the image of Denali's blood soaked corpse in my mind. Decision made I stood and left my office to speak to the waiting crew.

"Fetch the cars round to the back," I barked, reflecting that nobody hearing my tone of voice would suspect my inner turmoil. "Take the package to the warehouse and keep him comfortable but secure. He is to have no communication with the outside world. Make sure his phone is turned off as soon as you are away from the estate and then dispose of it somewhere it won't ever be found."

Garrett nodded. With a gesture he took Emmett's crew with him to get the cars ready. He would be met by his own crew and they would oversee everything until I got there to deal with Denali. I went back into the office and tempers were once again rising as Denali was tormenting my father.

"You are a very brave man god father," I interjected. Both of them glared at the interruptions. "You sit here, admit you are sleeping with my mother while in the presence of her husband and then insult him. Do you have a death wish?"

"Edward my boy," he attempted jovial but his weak smile didn't reach his eyes, "your father knows as well as I do what he has with your mother is in name only. They haven't had any sort of relationship for many years and he flaunts his mistress openly. Do you really begrudge your mother some happiness now her children are all grown up and have lives of their own?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Don't get me wrong I knew Carlisle had been with Liz for many years but didn't understand what us children had to with anything, we had been brought up by a series of nannies, having children had hardly cramped her style. "I have been having a relationship with your mother for the best part of twenty years," he began. My father's eyes opened wide as he finally began to understand the depth of the issue. "In the beginning it was just one of a deep friendship, she turned to me when she found out about Liz and I held her as your father repeatedly refused to give up his mistress and come home. As time passed and she devoted her life to you three children I stood by and supported her as she coped up with everything alone. I helped with cash when your father kept her short, took her to her appointments when your father wouldn't allow her to drive or have a driver and was generally there for everything she needed." Carlisle and I exchanged glances. Mother had always had cash as well as access to a stable of cars and a personal driver. As well as the nanny she had always had a housekeeper and other domestic help, hardly the picture of the struggling single mother that Denali was painting. "Our relationship blossomed into a loving one gradually and it wasn't until fairly recently she finally felt free enough to take the next step, for us to finally have a physical relationship." He turned to my father and in the next few words signed his own death warrant. "Can I just say Carlisle I hope you are fully satisfied with Liz because Esme has introduced me to a new world of feelings and sensations, I have never had my dick su..."

Before he could finish what he was saying my father rose from his chair and pistol whipped Denali right across the side of his head. The blood sprayed upwards and outwards as the skin around the delicate area of his eye socket opened up. I watched as the blood splattered on Carlisle, Jasper, the carpet, the wall and finally the ceiling. The thud of him falling from his chair and sliding on to the floor was unmistakable and seconds later Seth was knocking on the door asking if everything was okay.

"Get in here," I shouted.

"Have all the guests gone?" My first thought was we needed to clear the place and quickly. "Where is Isabella?"

"The last of the guests are just being shown out now, as soon as you we realised Denali was in the office with you we started to show people to their transport." He looked down at the unconscious bleeding man before he gave me the news I was really waiting to hear.

"Isabella is making sure everyone is okay, she is saying goodbye, handing out wedding cake and fighting off Rosie's persistent young cousins," he laughed before catching himself and waiting for my instructions.

"We need to get him to the warehouse before he comes round make sure he's secure, we will be there in the morning." He nodded understanding exactly what I wanted him to do.

"What do you want me to do about Isabella?"

"Nothing," I replied, suddenly tired, my body aching to curl up alongside her. "I'll go and get her now, I'm the only one with no blood splatter. Jasper, stay here and then lock up the office. Dad you go with Seth, get rid of your clothes then go home."

Carlisle and Jasper nodded. I stood and walked out of the office, checked once more to make sure there was no splatter on anything visible and went in search of Isabella. I found her saying goodbye to some relative of Rosie so I just walked up to her, put my arm around her and joined in with the goodbyes. I made sure to walk several of the older generation to their transport, apparently I had provided limos to take everyone home, making sure they would remember me if anyone needed to prove I was still at the wedding at the end.

"Where the hell have you been?" She smiled at one of Rosie's elderly grandparents through gritted teeth. "I've been on my own all afternoon." We stood side by side waving at great aunt somebody.

"I'm sorry sweetheart business got out of hand I'm afraid, I'll make it up to you tonight if you'll let me?" I kissed the side of her face and nibbled on her ear lobe, she really loved that and I knew that was my best bet at the moment to get forgiven.

"I'm not sure, you'll have to work way harder than that Cullen." She laughed as she turned and walked back into the house. I quickly followed and as she made her way back into the marquee I wondered what she was going to do. Knowing Isabella she was probably going to start to tidy up but once again she surprised me.

"Dance with me please." She stood alone on the empty dance floor. The band had already started to pack up, cables were being wound up and instruments put back into cases. I thought about offering them a shit rake of cash to reset up but Isabella was standing waiting for my answer. I swept her up in my arms and gently swayed backwards and forwards, humming a tune, anything that came to mind. I felt her relax into my embrace and I held her a little tighter and a little closer.

"I'm still waiting for you to answer my question from earlier Isabella." I leaned back slightly and looked down on to her face, she fit snugly against my chest and I realised she had taken off her heels at some point.

"You told me to ask you again when it was just the two of us and I had your ring." I had her ring in my pocket, I'd fetched it earlier from the safe.

She looked up at me and smiled, her whole face was beaming and I had to catch my breath, this woman caused emotions to swirl through me that I had no idea I was even capable of feeling.

"Why Mr Cullen, are you proposing to little old me? She batted her eyelids, playing with me again, but this time I recognised it.

"Would you like me to get down on one knee and do it the old fashioned way?" I asked, the smile on my face matching hers.

"Well I think you should but I have to check, have you asked my Daddy for my hand in marriage?"

Now that stopped me in my tracks. I had never even thought about asking Charlie for her hand, did men still do that? He was the chief of Police for fucks sake, there was no way he was going to agree to Isabella marrying me. What if she wouldn't marry me until he agreed, how the fuck was I going to organise that?

"Whatever you are thinking stop," she put a hand on my chest and I wondered if she could feel how it thundered, "I know Charlie is a problem we have to sort out but I'm a big girl and I can make my own decisions, so ask your damn question."

"Should we talk to Charlie first? I don't want to get off on the wrong foot with your father, maybe it would be better if I spoke to him first and got his blessing, in fact…."

"Edward," she interrupted me, "you are the head of the largest crime family in the USA and part of the original family that has ties back to Italy. You are suspected of being involved in every illegal activity going, including gun running, drugs, gambling, human slave trade, sex trafficking and rigging elections. You are known to have senators, governors and probably presidents in your pocket so the chances of my father being excited about the idea of his precious daughter marrying you is pretty fucking remote don't you think?"

"Well when you put it like that..." I couldn't think of any other answer to disagree with her. I was more interested in who had provided the character reference.

"Who told you all that information? Have you been googling me again?"

"Jarvis was very forthcoming as what he saw as your shortcomings. The man had files and files of papers and pictures of you and he was quite happy to share." She had lost the sparkle and I knew the proposal would have to wait until another day. Why would she agree when everything she had just said was true?

"And that adds to the list of reasons why I really need to pay that man a visit." I let my arms drop from around her and led her back to a table in the corner of the marquee. The crew would be here shortly to start dismantling it so I knew we only had a few minutes at most. I wanted to tell her what was going on but it was best that I didn't so all I could do was assure her everything was alright.

"I am sorry about today, apart from the fact I'm not used to playing host, most of what happened today really did need to be dealt with straight away. I promise next time Emmett gets married I will be the perfect host, companion and partner." I leant forward and kissed her gently on the lips, it felt as if it had been so long since we'd been in bed tucked up together.

"I do love you Isabella Swan, very much. I want you to know you are the most important person in my life. If this ever gets too much for you please talk to me, don't just pull away or shut me out. Talk to me and I will fix whatever the problem is do you understand?" It was suddenly so important to me that she understood, I didn't want to be having the conversation I just witnessed my father have in years to come, I wanted us to be solid and together and very much in love.

I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her with everything I had, I could taste champagne and wedding cake and I couldn't help but think about when it would be our turn. I needed her to understand I was in this forever, no going back, this was it for me.

The sound of a lorry reversing broke our kiss, the crew were here to start packing things away. I smoothed my hand down across her lap making sure her dress hadn't risen up from my wandering hands and then helped her smooth down her hair. She wiped lipstick from my mouth and pecked my lips one more time. I started to explain to her we needed to move but she put her finger against my lips.

"I've been thinking far too hard about how to say this instead of just saying it, so I'm just going to say it now." My heart beat even faster, the part of me that knew just what I was suddenly terrified that she would walk out of my life. "I love you Edward Cullen, I love you very much. I love who you are, I don't care what you are or what your family are, I love you." I gathered her in my arms and held her tight. My chest was tight and my throat a lump, I held her tight and tried to let her know without words how fucking amazing those words made me feel.

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There she finally said it.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviews we have passed the 4k mark and I am so so honoured. Thank you so much for your support.

LL is away on vacation at present but she has been working super hard and I have chapters ready to go, so same time next then xx


	57. Chapter 57

TNMC

Chapter 55

EPOV

The warehouse was really no place for me to be thinking about last night but I couldn't get the vision of Isabella out of my head. Finally she had said the words I'd been longing to hear. She loved me for me and she was prepared to accept me despite knowing who and what I was. I was surprised she was as knowledgeable about my family business as she seemed to be but then Jarvis had done a thorough job of trying to scare her away. I wondered darkly just how Jarvis had got that information and whether it was based in fact or gossip. He was wrong about a couple of our interests, while we did make a fucking lot of cash with the sex trade, we didn't participate in sex trafficking or slavery. I'd made it pretty clear if I found out anyone in the family thought about doing either of them I'd personally take out however had arranged it. I knew Stephan was bringing men and women in from Europe but he refused to trade in children so I turned a blind eye.

"What do you want to do Boss?" It was Seth, interrupting me apologetically. I could see from their faces they had been looking to me for information for a while and I had been lost in my own memories of Isabella spread out on our bed while I disappeared under that long dress.

I looked at Denali. He had aged ten years over night and he looked tired, haggard and scared. To say he was the same age as my father you would have put at least twenty years between them at this point. The strain of his deception was catching up with him, living a secret life in this already stressful atmosphere did not bode well for any of us.

He was sitting on a big padded office chair, each hand cuffed securely to the arms and his calves and ankles tied together and then to the back of the chair. I suppose this was Seth's idea of comfortable and secure. Usually the poor fuckers brought here were kept hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. His face was already several shades of purple and yellow and his eye was closed and matted with dry blood. I could see dry blood in his hair and along his receding hair line and I wondered if he had another split in there or whether the blood had run down from his eye.

His head was slumped forward at a strange angle and if it wasn't for the rasping of his steady breathing I would have checked for a pulse.

"I'm waiting on some information from Whitlock so keep him alive and make sure he has some water." I walked into the makeshift office and called Jasper.

"Have you located those wills yet?" I asked as soon as he answered the phone.

"No." I appreciated him giving the answer straight. "I've spoken to both of the family lawyers and none of them have any knowledge of either will being changed or even amended. From what I can ascertain, Esme last changed hers about five years ago and Denali hasn't changed his in years." As ever I could hear him typing away as he spoke. Before I could ask he carried on.

"There could be copies in their home safes or the bank strong boxes, in fact as I'm digging through some of your mother's records I have found several interesting developments but no will."

"Well you can fill me in later today," I didn't have the mental capacity to process any new information at this time. "I'll ask Denali nicely where his will actually is; let's see if he feels like talking."

"Um, Edward?" I paused for a moment. Jasper must have judged that this was something that I would want to hear. "It seems that Mrs Cullen owns property in Mexico, property I have a feeling she didn't want anyone to find." I could hear the confusion in his voice as he tried to make sense of what he was looking at. "I'll let you know details as I uncover more" with that the line went dead.

"How and why does my Mother own property in Mexico?" I asked out loud to no one in particular.

"I have no idea son, I'm the last person who would know about anything like that." I turned as my father walked into the office. He walked forward and hugged me, it was a very old fashioned greeting and it struck me just how much this was all hurting him. I knew he was telling the truth when he described how my Mother had pulled away from him and even though she hadn't left him physically, mentally and emotionally she had distanced herself from him a long time ago.

"Where is the property anyway?" He removed his coat and gloves.

"No idea at the moment, I have Whitlock looking into it." I picked up the phone and called my brother, I needed a safe cracker and he was the best in the business.

"This better be important bro," his answer was curt but his voice relaxed, "my Rosie was just about to do something that makes my toes and my hair curl." I shuddered, the images that simple sentence caused where too much.

"I'm sorry Em but I need a safe cracker." I didn't need to tell him he was the best, that he already knew.

"Can it wait till tomorrow?" he pleaded."One more day and then I promise we will be back?" I felt such a dick cutting his honeymoon short but I needed those documents.

"Give me an hour to get some more information and I will call you back, if they are where I think they are we may not need you." Before I could say any more I could hear the low distinct moan from my brother that meant Rosie had started to do whatever Emmett had been referring to earlier and I quickly hung up.

"I bet those wills are in the safe at the house," I thought aloud. "It's the ideal place to keep them, she doesn't have to leave them with the lawyer and if anything happens to Denali mother can produce it without any fuss."

Carlisle nodded and sat in one of the rickety old chairs we kept in the room. "Doesn't it strike you as odd the paperwork hasn't been lodged with the lawyers? I mean if they were together and something happened and the papers were squirreled away in her private safe we may never have known about their last wishes. Why hide the wills?"

I could see his point but it was obvious to me."I presume they didn't want their relationship being made public, no matter how confidential everything is you know as well as I do that the contents of those wills would have found their way to us within a few days of them being lodged."

"I suppose you're right," he shrugged, "this way no one would know until after one of them had gone." My father really did seem to be genuinely upset and once again I wondered if he did still love my mother.

"We need to take the opportunity while we know she is out of the house to look in her safe. Do you still know the combination?" It was a long shot but worth asking.

"It's been so long, she would have changed the combination if not the safe knowing her." He said shaking his head.

"She hasn't changed the safe," this I was sure of, "I would have been told about it. I'll make some calls."

It took one call to Alex and twenty minutes later we knew it was still the original safe, buried in the back of her closet. Because of the age of the safe, it was still one of the old ones that you see in the movies, you move the dial round to the right and the left and the mechanism inside lines up to open.

"She hasn't changed it," I told Carlisle "That was Alex, he had his man check."

This was good news for us. Emmett had honed his skills on that safe. Every time he had the chance he would sit for hours listening to the clicks as the dial went round until he worked out how to open it. He'd quickly graduated onto bigger and newer models but that was his first. I quickly called Emmett back and asked him for the combination, whatever they were doing was loud and noisy but I quickly wrote down the instructions he gave me before leaving them to it.

"Do you want to come or wait here?" I knew Carlisle wasn't squeamish or emotional but as soon as we knew what was in the will Denali was going to be a memory.

"I'll stay here." He shifted, trying to get comfortable on the hard chair, moving it so he could see Denali from his position. I nodded and called Alex, telling him to arrange for someone to go over to the house. I didn't want it to be a member of the staff from the house. While they were all supposed to be loyal to me my mother must have promised them something for their silence. I made a note to look into that, any of them could be in on the plan to overthrow me. If they were they needed to be dealt with too as none had seen fit to inform me what was going on.

"Edward, my boy," Denali had woken up and was trying to attract my attention.

"What do you want?" He had lost the right to be called my godfather or uncle.

"You know this is just a case of two people falling in love and wanting to be together. Why do we need all of this just because your mother and I have finally found our true happiness?" There were tears in his eyes and I could see the anguish as he tried to reason with me. "I've finally found the peace and love I've yearned for all my adult life, why are you taking it from me now? Is this just to appease Carlisle? You know in your heart of hearts that he never wanted her like I do. He definitely never loved her the way I do."

If that had genuinely been the case I would have gladly let them be together. My father had long since resigned himself to the state of his marriage. I knew I needed to tell Denali why he was truly here but something held me back, my gut told me to wait and it was rarely wrong.

"Rest old man, you'll find out what all this is about soon enough, then we can get this whole shit storm sorted."

"How the fuck can I rest when I'm tied to a chair," he said, his nice guy act melting away before my eyes, "sat in my own piss because these goons wouldn't untie me and let me use the facilities?" he snarled, his true side coming to the surface again.

"You know as well as I do they are following orders. Ten years ago it would have been you stood here with my father giving the orders so you know the drill." I deliberately baited him, waiting to see if he was tired and grumpy enough to bite.

"You know the old saying my boy, look after people on your way up because you meet them on your way back down." He murmured these words just loud enough for me to hear him. It was my phone ringing that stopped me from shooting him at that point.

"Yes?" I barked.

"Boss I have the paperwork in my hand, you need to see it." It was Alex, I could hear he was running as he spoke to me. " I'll be with you as soon as I can."

Hopefully the papers would give me a better insight into what was planned. I knew Denali wouldn't give me enough information to go on, he was a proud man and most likely a traitor but I knew he would never talk. Silence had been bred into him like genetic mutations into pedigree dogs. In this business snitches didn't last long. As Alex came into the warehouse the whole atmosphere changed, everyone knew he would only be here if it was really important.

"The first thing you need to see is that this one isn't signed or witnessed so it's null and void." He handed me a document with 'The Last Will and Testament of Esme Cullen nee Platt 'in the heading. "She's left everything to him and the main asset listed is the house she lives in, which isn't hers to bequeath as it owned by the family, her jewellery and the contents of the one bank account she has. I had a quick look at that as I was coming over here and that has just over $40,000 in it. On this paper your mother looks as though she has very little possessions."

I picked up the document and read through it, she had painted a picture of a woman whose family had left her to fend for herself with very little income or possessions. It was pitiful to read and I wondered just what how desperate Denali must have been to believe everything she told him. This woman had millions of dollars in cash at her disposal as well as several properties both in this country and around the world. Properties that were in her name for tax reasons as well as properties that came under the Cullen name. "Here is the other document." Alex handed me Denali's will.

It made sad reading, he had cut my aunt out completely, Tanya got a very basic allowance and everything else had been left to my mother. If she died before him the money was to be paid into a trust fund and made available to Tanya if she became pregnant. Her allowance would then be increased and the bulk of his estate was to go to into trust for his grandchildren. If she had no children everything went to his surviving nieces and nephews.

"Boss it's not about who the benefactors are; look at when it was signed and who witnessed it." Alex pointed to the last page. I turned over to the back of the document, the will had been signed two years ago and it was witnessed by none other than Tanya Cullen.

Why the fuck would my wife witness a document like this and then not inform me about it? This meant Tanya had known all along about their affair and that she was going to be basically disinherited but she'd done nothing about it. It made no sense, Tanya was extremely materialistic, I would have bet on her kicking up hell at that arrangement.

I slumped down into my chair and stared out of the office window at the unshaven, dishevelled man who was still tied up and sitting in his own piss. This man had been my godfather, my father in law, my confidant and mentor and at times when I was growing up my substitute father. How could I have missed the signs? Could this all be just so he could have the love of my mother? It was time to find out. I stood up and walked out into the main room leaving my father reading the documents I'd thrown on the desk.

"Did you know Tanya knew about your affair with my mother?" I asked.

"Everyone knew who mattered to me." His smile was not a warm one.

"How long has she known?" I demanded.

"What's the matter Edward? Is your pride hurt?" His sneer was ugly as he bared his teeth and strained against the ropes. Didn't she tell you everything she knew about your precious family?".

I couldn't help myself, my fist connected with his nose before I even realised I done it. My instincts took over and my arm came back ready to strike him again. The sight of his blood exploding from his broken nose brought me back to my senses.

"I think it's time we talked don't you?" I fetched a chair and sat opposite him, it was very much a Hollywood cliché but it would work for what I wanted to achieve.

"So tell me, when did you get in league with the feds ?"


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 56

EPOV

We had been in the warehouse all day. Denali was still sitting in the chair and the stench coming off him was now almost unbearable. He was bleeding from his nose again because I'd 'accidently' caught it for a third time, opening up the wounds on the bridge and causing a dark, thick rivulet of blood to slowly work down from the inside of his nostrils and onto his top lip. He couldn't move so he just had to let it run down his face. The swelling and skin around his eyes was darkening quickly and his eyes were virtually closed.

I took a step back and wondered what he was trying to prove. We knew about his affair so there was no need to protect my mother anymore. We knew he was in league with the authorities and we were also sure that he had shielded Tanya and that she had known about his affair with my mother. We had also established that he knew about Tanya's affair, or should we say affairs. Apparently my ex wife had been quite active and there had been many once we had moved into different suites within the house. Whilst I had no feelings whatsoever for Tanya the revelations about her repeated infidelity made me angry. Of course, not as angry as when I had discovered that Tanya had told Denali that Hunter had been stealing from me.

It had taken several more beatings before he had finally admitted that he was working with Aro Volturi, Jarvis's real name. After taking a bullet to the thigh very close to his balls I was finally able to find out how the original contact had taken place.

"So Volturi approached you out of nowhere?" Denali tried to nod his head but he was in too much pain by this time. I needed to make sure we controlled it so he didn't just tell us anything to stop the persuasive tactics we were using, I needed to remind him of his loyalties and where they should lie.

"Do you think I'm fucking stupid old man?" I asked as Seth plunged a syringe full of morphine into his muscle. The relief would be instantaneous but not prolonged.

"Who made the initial contact, where and when?" I tried again.

"It was at a charity event, you and your father couldn't attend so I escorted your mother, there was someone, a man I didn't know and your mother introduced me to him, he contacted me a few days later and set up a meeting." His speech was becoming slurred and slow but I needed to get to the bottom of all of this. I had to find out who initiated the contact.

"How did my mother know him?"

"I never really asked her, when he contacted me after the gala he informed me there was a plot to oust you and he wanted my help to keep the streets from erupting. He said there was no time to stop the hit on you but if I worked with them I could keep both our families safe."

"So you just went along with him, why the fuck didn't you come to me or my father and tell us what you had found out?" I was going to have a heart attack myself if I didn't calm down. I had to pace and take a drink from the now warm water that was sitting on the small table in front of Denali. I paced and paced until I calmed down slightly, finally stopping in front of him once again.

"When have you ever known a time when either my Father or I haven't escorted my mother to one of those shit events? You fucking know we move heaven and earth to make sure one of us is available." He at least had the decency to nod acknowledging I was telling him the truth.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing; I really didn't know this man anymore, the man my Godfather had become. What had happened to turn him against us? Had his love for my mother clouded his judgement so much he could no longer see reason?

"I spoke to your mother first, I wanted her to be ready, if we couldn't stop the hit at least it wouldn't be too much of a shock for her."

"So you're fucking telling me my mother also knew about the hit on me and she didn't think to inform me either?" As soon as he realised what he'd admitted he tried to backtrack because he knew he had just signed my mother's death warrant too.

"No it wasn't like that, she wanted to tell you but I told her I would try and sort it out, I went along with Volturi because he agreed to pull you off the streets and put you in protective custody. I figured that would keep you safe while I sorted out the mess."

I nodded at Seth and he quickly wiped Denali's face and gave him a drink of water. Seth helped him to sit back in the chair while I paced the floor again putting everything in order. My one problem was when did the hit go from me to me and Carlisle? I was pretty certain my mother was at the bottom of all this, Denali had been stupid and blind and neither of those things were forgivable.

"Now, are you ready to talk about the actual hit that was put out on my father and I?" I'd waited long enough and heard enough bullshit. I was getting bored and I knew that that usually resulted in me just pulling the trigger for a final time, whether we had all the information we needed or not. Emmett was much more patient than me, which is why he usually sorted all this shit out. The latest beating had broken all of the fingers on Denali's left hand as well as his wrist and forearm. I watched his face and body for a reaction to my question. It was priceless, his head whipped up, his puffy swollen eyes tried to open as he realised we knew all about it. Finally the groan he let out proved he knew that he was finished. Part of me was quite sad he'd given in so easily. He had a few broken bones and he was sat in his own bodily waste but with Emmett not being here we hadn't done any of the really nasty shit we would usually do.

"I'm intrigued as to why someone would put the hit out in Emmett's name," I continued, "don't get me wrong, I understand the need to put the hit out, whoever wanted to take over would need my father and I gone before they could take charge." I paused for effect, although I already had his full and undivided attention. "But Emmett, why him?" I looked directly into his eyes; I wanted to see how he answered this.

"I didn't know it was Emmett," he whined, his voice thick as though his tongue was suddenly too large for his mouth. "I thought it was put out in Stephan's name. The plan was that would start a war when the hits happened, the family would have to avenge your deaths so I could sit back, take control and watch the main rival family be wiped out at the same time."

His honesty was refreshing, but the string of foreign language that even I could tell were profanities directed everyone's attention to the back of the room. Stephan stood with his gun drawn in one hand and a strong industrial clear plastic bag in the other. I could see the hatred in his face; it was twisted as though he was really offended by a bad odour. Before I could say anything he quickly walked forward and spat a huge lump of phlegm direct into Denali's face. I watched fascinated as the mess slowly slipped down his badly beaten face. Denali desperately tried to free his good arm to try and wipe it away but the rope kept him tied tightly to the arm of the chair. Stephan called him several different names in his native tongue before hitting him repeatedly with the butt of his gun. As Denali slumped forward unconscious and bleeding I pondered what other information I needed from him.

"Do we need to keep him alive?" I asked Carlisle. He sat quietly at the back of the room still observing and listening.

"We need to make sure we have everything he knows." His voice was matter of fact as he stood and walked past me out of the room.

"Let's wait for him to come round and we will have another go at him." I addressed the other guys in the room. "Find the hose pipe so we can wash him down, the fucking stench is getting unbearable. You know the drill, don't leave him alone but if you need a piss or a sandwich, sort it out between yourselves. I'll be back later." I left the dark cold windowless room and walked out in to the sunlight. After a few deep breaths of cleansing fresh clean air I looked around for my father.

"Are you okay?" I walked towards him. He was sitting out on the loading dock, his legs dangling over the edge like a small boy. He looked deflated, a far cry from the man with a core of steel I'd grown up with.

"I'm getting too old for this shit." He shook his head and exhaled a long, shuddering breath. I realised all over again what it cost him to see his best friend in this state and to know the long, calculating deception that had caused the rot at the heart of our family.

"For the activity in the room?" I cocked my head towards where we had come from "Or in general?"

"In general," he ran his hands though his hair, "I'm ready to retire fully, perhaps move to warmer climes or go back to the old country. I really thought your mother and I would travel and see the world from a different prospective, look at places as tourists and do all the things tourists do. I still can't understand where it all went wrong." I looked at him closely and for the first time I saw the signs of age in his face. He was not old by any means, he was in his late fifties but today he looked almost defeated.

"Did you have any idea my mother had lovers?" I was trying to decide if we needed to widen who we were talking to. If she had taken lovers over the year who knows if any of them are actually involved in this today. My instincts were telling me there was a reason she had the house in Mexico, she was at some point going to leave. Was that because she didn't want the life she had anymore or was she getting escape routes planned if she needed them? My gut told me it was the second option and what was unfolding at the moment was her one and only chance of taking over in some form.

"The second we kill Denali, your mother's plans crumble," he avoided the question about other lovers and I wondered if he had his suspicions, "if or when you and I are killed she still cannot take control of the business or the family. Emmett would be sworn in with Jasper as his consigliore and she would be still be in the exact the same situation she is now. Her son running the business and family and as his mother she would have to carry on with all the charity work and the public face committees."

"Maybe she thinks that Emmett would be more pliable and she could offer to help him, lead through him?" It was plausible as it had been clear from a relatively young age that my brother was not cut out for the business side of the family.

"You don't know your mother very well if you think she would be happy with ruling from behind Emmett. If she was making the decisions she would want the world to know." The low chuckle that came from my father was almost chilling but it made me think of something else.

"Perhaps we are looking at this wrongly," I surmised, the facts of the day whirling around in my head, "maybe she has set us all up. If her plan works she gets rid of me and you, Emmett gets the blame and Denali could have easily tipped off the Feds as to who pulled the trigger." I thought for a moment, the form of a theory starting to take shape. "If that's the case she would have also banked on us taking out Denali. That solves all her problems and she slips off quietly to Mexico to live her life, with a massive pile of cash and the income from the hotel if she needs it. The country would descend into chaos as everyone fights for territory so the Feds wouldn't concentrate on her or she could have already done a deal with them so she is left alone to live in peace."

I could see his mind processing my rambling, following all the bits of information."The only thing that doesn't sit right for me," he replied, "is her disappearing into the sunset to live incognito on the beach. She thrives on the prestige of being Mrs Carlisle Cullen, she loves the fact that every woman she meets wants to be her and that she can demand audiences with anyone and get them."

"Maybe she is just as tired as you, ready to give it up?" I knew as soon as I'd said it I didn't believe it.

"We will see son," he sighed, "the truth always comes out we just have to wait till it's ready to show its self."

We sat on the edge of the dock for another half hour. It was surprisingly quiet and the fresh air allowed me to refocus on the task in hand.

"I'm going back in, you coming?" Carlisle shook his head and stayed sat where he was.

The scene that greeted me as I walked back into the room hadn't changed that much. Denali was still unconscious. When I checked his pulse it was still strong and regular.

"Let's wake him up." One of Seth's team went to turn the water on.

The ice cold water hit Denali straight in the face. He came round gasping for breath and I thought at first we had brought on some sort of heart attack as he gasped for oxygen.

"We thought you needed freshening up old man," someone shouted as the assembled crew laughed at Denali's discomfort. The humiliation was all part of the breaking down process, slowly stripping away every shred of pride and dignity until they were in such a state they would have told us anything to just die so the process was finally over.

"So godfather, how are you doing?" I crouched down to look him in the eye. Unfortunately they were now swollen shut but the sentiment was there.

"Edward, please end this. I know I'm not getting out of here so please, just end it. Let me have my peace," Denali uttered quietly so only I could hear.

"Not yet. I need to know, how many lovers has my mother had over the years and does she still see any of them?" The tears fell from his swollen eyes as he tried to focus on me.

"You have no idea what that woman has been through. I have known Carlisle all my life and even I was stunned and disgusted what he subjected your mother to."

"Do you really believe that," I snarled, right into his ear, "deep down in your gut do you really believe my father would treat his wife like that?" I was stunned he didn't know Carlisle better. He must have blinded by his lust for Esme.

"You never really know what happens behind closed doors," he whispered back, the words urgent. "I saw the state he left her in, she would call me hysterical, in pain both physically and mentally."

"Did you ever see him raise a hand to my mother? Did you see any evidence of the abuse?" I needed to be convinced because I just couldn't picture my father doing this. The women in our family are worshipped not abused.

"No she would never let me see her when she had bruises," he replied, "she would stay in her house locked away; she was too ashamed to let anyone see her."

"When did she tell you this all started?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I needed to speak to my father to hear his side but if any of this was true he would die here today as well.

"She told me it had been going on her entire married life, that she had hid it from everyone at the beginning but she finally told me last year."

As soon as he said that I knew it was all a big lie, my mother had played this man, manipulated him to do what she wanted using the fact that he was in love with and had been for many years. The poor sod still couldn't see it, even when her actions had effectively signed his death warrant.

"You didn't answer my question, has she had other lovers?" I was past caring about him.

"Yes she has had casual lovers but I couldn't tell you who they were, she would never discuss them with me, she always said they were fulfilling a need I couldn't."

I stood up and walked away from him. The man was delusional, letting his dick rule his heart. If I'd tried to explain to him in different circumstances that I thought my father was hurting my mother he would have laughed and told me that Carlisle wasn't capable of hurting her. As I turned and took one last look at the man who had been part of my entire life I nodded at Stephan. He silently stepped forward and placed the bag over Denali's head, pulling it tight against his face. I watched for a minute or two as he gasped for breath, his face quickly turning red and then purple before finally slumping forward. I wasn't sure if he was actually dead at that point but I knew my men were trained well enough to make sure he was disposed of and everything cleaned up. All I had to do now was tell my aunt he'd gone.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thank you so much to everyone for your support, I love writing this story. A huge thank you to LL for making sure it makes sense most of the time and a special mention to the ladies who over the past few hours made me realise just how important it is to have a support network around you.


	59. Chapter 59

TNMC

No copyright intended, I know Mrs Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Chapter 57

We are back with Bella the morning after the wedding and then we switch over to what Edward is doing.

BPOV

The wedding had been amazing, taking into account the fact we had managed to pull everything together in such a short space of time. It was probably the first time I have ever witnessed just how much easier having money made getting exactly what you want. Rosie and her family were happy, blissfully ignorant of what was going on around them. Emmett was going to let Rosie in on the family business as soon as they got back from their short honeymoon. If it was me I would hate disclosure after the event but I didn't for a minute think Rosie would mind.

I had woken up in our bed alone, yet again. Edward had been incredibly attentive when I'd finally managed to get his attention last night. After I finally told him I loved him he'd whisked me off to bed and, not wanting to sound too much like a cliché, we had had a magical night together. We just needed to get onto the same page for the proposal and hopefully our wedding wouldn't be in the too distant future. An unexpected wave of joy swept over my body. I squealed, threw the comforter onto the floor and kicked my legs, squealing and giggling uncontrollably. I was ready to be his wife, even with everything I knew or even didn't know about him. I loved him and I knew without a doubt that he loved me and would move heaven and earth to make sure I was safe and loved.

An idea started to form in my mind, stilling my joyous body. I wondered if Alice and Rosie would get on board to help me. I was a strong independent woman, I could propose to him, right? After another bout of laughter I finally dragged myself out of bed. My legs and back ached but in a good way, Edward had put me into positions last night I would never have dreamt about. His stamina gets better with every day, seemingly increasing along with his need and desire for me. I am a lucky woman, I know that and I have to learn to compartmentalise the two Edward's I know. My lover and the Boss.

I intended to spend the day helping Mrs B getting everything straight around the house and grounds. The caterers had done most of the work and the marquee, bouncy castle, table and chairs had already all disappeared. As I looked out of the window I could see the gardeners were already repairing the damage done to the lawns.

After a light breakfast and some much needed coffee, we went through every room downstairs making sure nothing had been touched or was missing. We were followed round by one of Alex's men who seemed to be checking that none of the guests or hired help had left any listening devices or anything nasty. I tried to ask the guy I hadn't seen before if he knew where Alex was but he didn't answer. I could tell from his uncomfortable reaction that he didn't know what to say so I took pity on him and left him to his work. The strangest thing was Mrs B she never even batted an eye lid at the fact the house was being swept for listening devices and I wondered not for the first time if the sweet middle aged English lady hadn't already worked out her boss's occupation.

I tried to call Edward several times. He'd been gone when I woke up and still wasn't answering. My instincts told me to leave well alone but I wanted to know what he was dealing with. I wanted to be part of his life, to be able to talk to him about what was happening and help if I could. I knew none of that was possible until I was his wife.

As I stood in the large formal dining room, a room I'd never seen used, I thought about holding a dinner party. We could have his family over. I really wanted to get to know Liz and to spend some more time getting to know Rosie and Alice. As I looked at how I could redecorate the room and make it more homely I realised I had definitely come to terms with what Edward was and the lifestyle I was planning on marrying into.

I sent Edward a quick text asking if he minded me changing the decor in some of the rooms. I got a short reply that made me smile. "It's your home baby, just make sure any contractors you use are checked by Alex first."

I had a firm of guys I used when I needed to smarten up some of the properties I marketed so I sent a quick text to Alex to ask him to start the vetting process. They I got my sketch book out and started to make plans. If we were going to live here together it needed to feel like home, not some poor copy of a cross between an English stately home and the Palace of Versailles.

EPOV

The text made me smile, she wanted to make my home ours and I couldn't be happier. I was on my way to see my aunt to tell her what had happened. I had destroyed the wills we had in our possession and made sure that the one lodged with the families' solicitors was the one that would be read. In his original one my aunt was his main benefactor along with a sizeable allowance to Tanya. We had a little bit of a problem to sort, when and if Denali's body would ever be found. She couldn't have him presumed dead without a body so until then the actual will wouldn't matter. Jasper was 'working' with the accountants who had been rerouting all of Denali's money to hide it. A quick call to the senior partner informing him we would be pulling all our legitimate business from the firm suddenly made them very helpful. Jasper soon had the information he needed to make sure all the cash and assets that had already been moved were returned to my Aunt. She was a very wealthy woman and on top of that I would always make sure she never needed for anything.

As soon as we pulled up to the house my Aunt came out to meet me. She looked the same as ever, a beautiful Italian woman who looked after herself and her family. It was going to be a hard conversation for me if she had no idea. She ushered us through to the sun lounge, a small cosy room with a terracotta floor, simply decorated and adorned with lush plants. Silver leaves of potted olive plants and glossy green leaves of a citrus plant with tiny green fruit budding kept my attention as she busied herself in the kitchen making strong Italian coffee. She served the coffee in small, beautiful espresso cups along with a plate of biscotti. As we made small talk in the sun lounge Seth was very discreet as he checked the Feds hadn't been here first and wired the house. He was less discreet as he winced at his first sip of strong coffee. Chances are they had Denali's phones tapped but listening devices needed a warrant and I wasn't sure if Jarvis's new department would have been able to get one easily. Better safe than sorry, he did a sweep and quietly whispered that the phones were tapped but there were no bugs in here. To make doubly sure we strolled out into the garden to talk. She was surprisingly calm as I explained all about her husband's dealings with Jarvis, the feds and my mother. She had a much better poker face than her husband. For one terrible, soul wrenching moment I wondered if she was in on it. Perhaps I'd made a terrible mistake explaining to her what had happened. I quickly went through what I had told her, I'd been careful not to incriminate myself and I hadn't actually mentioned the fact he was already dead but she had lived inside this world long enough to know as soon as I mentioned his involvement with the feds that he wasn't coming home.

"I've known about his involvement with your mother for many, many years Edward," she sighed. "She has played him for the fool, phoning him to come and help her because Carlisle had done something to her. Both you and I know your father would never have lifted a finger against her. He always loved her far more than she loved him." Her face remained still, only the way that her hand strayed to touch her wedding ring betrayed how this was affecting her.

I guessed that this was the first time she had voiced these facts out loud. I needed to tell her about Tanya but I wondered if it was too much too soon. Before I could even start to wonder she beat me to it.

"Edward?" Her tone was urgent. "Tanya knows as well."

"Knows about what?" I didn't want to prompt her, she had to tell me.

"She knows about her father and your mother," she glared at me, both hating this and understanding just how necessary it was. "She has taunted me for the last few years, dropping little hints that his will had been changed and that I wasn't mentioned in it anymore. I ignored her, never rising to the bait, but I started to make sure that I had cash and jewellery put away so that I have something to fall back on if I need it." Her face stayed stoic. She was calm and collected and I was immensely proud of her. This family I was running needed to understand the mental strength these women possessed. It was criminal they some of our number treated them as objects.

"Do you really think we would not see you provided for?"

"It's not that simple and you know that," now she twisted her ring absent-mindedly around her finger. "If anything happened to your father your mother could have made things very difficult for me. I have to make sure I'm safe and comfortable."

We talked for an hour or so about her financial affairs. While I couldn't admit what we had arranged with the accountants I did invite her to my home where we could talk a lot more freely. She accepted the invitation and we agreed I would send a car over for her.

On my way back to the office at the club Alex bought me up to date on the warehouse, informing me that everything had been fully cleaned and all the debris removed. To anyone who actually managed to listen in we could have been discussing renovations on a building, the only difference we knew the debris was actually Denali's body and that I had a solid alibi of being in his house with Denali's wife when it all happened.

Jasper was waiting for me at the office and as soon as I sat behind my desk he began. First topic was the house he's found in Mexico my mother owned. He'd traced the paperwork and the payment and mother had actually paid for it in cash with her own funds. No hiding anything, she had brought an old run down property several years ago; it was a cash transaction that had gone unnoticed because she had spent far more than that on her clothes and purses when she went on a spree. Google Maps helped as we checked on what was there now. Gone was the run down building she'd purchased and in its place was a fully renovated palatial building that sat at the end of a mile long drive. There was now a huge sun deck with a pool and landscaped gardens surrounded by huge trees that had been carefully trained to make a natural shield around the property line.

"She has been transferring cash to a separate account in Mexico, small amounts that have gone under the radar, $30k being the largest." Jasper showed me a bank statement for an account in the name of Esme Platt. There were regular payments into the account and then payments to a building company. She had spent just under $500k over the past three years getting the house ready.

"I've scanned all the local banks in the area looking for accounts in the name of Cullen and Platt but nothing has come up. However, there are some regular transfers from the account to an account set up locally. That account is in the name of Mrs Imogene Hector."

"Who the fuck is she, has she employed someone to look after the property or something?" I was trying to work out what was happening, things were starting to drop into place but I still felt that I was missing a big piece of the puzzle.

"I thought that, a housekeeper type to oversee the renovations and look after the property but when I scanned that name through the banking system I came up with several accounts in and around the area that are stuffed full of cash, in total I have found several million dollars so far."

Things were getting complicated and I needed to process everything but as ever Jasper was already working on something.

"Who do you know who could arrange identity paperwork?" He looked at me and not at his screen for once.

"You think she has set up a new identity?" It was a possibility but a bit drastic. Before he could say anything else the bits in my mind fell into place.

"Fuck she has a new identity, a life even set up so she can leave, go and live very comfortably in Mexico and we would never be able to find her." I paced, I always worked through things better when I was pacing. "She sets everyone up here, watching from the sidelines as I'm killed and then Carlisle. She gets Denali to point the finger at Emmett or Stephan, either way chaos ensues. Emmett will be held until you can get him out, as they try and frame him for the murders she slips on a flight to Europe or Asia as Mrs Esme Cullen and doubles back as Mrs whatever and she has technically disappeared." I was pulling on my hair now. I don't think I had ever quite grasped exactly what that woman was capable of.

"Well along those lines," he nodded his thoughtful agreement. "Personally I think she will leave the country once she has played the grieving wife and mother, telling everyone she needs time to grieve away from the city that had taken her husband and first son. She turns up in some resort for the filthy rich where she is bound to be spotted by the paparazzi creating a story and a time line and then from there she will disappear. As you say she leaves where ever she is quietly, probably on a commercial airline in coach, under her new identity and flies into Mexico where everything is waiting for her."

Jasper looked at me to gauge my opinion and mood, he was right and I could see the timeline and the plan working.

"Get someone down to that property now," I told him, urgently. "I want it checked out thoroughly, someone must have seen the owner. Find the designer/ builder she has worked with and as soon as we know for definite it is her property I want it destroyed, there had better not be a brick left in place. On the same day I want all the accounts you can find emptied and all the proceeds sent to my Aunt."

"Edward you really shouldn't be telling me these things," he took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can't represent you if I have prior knowledge of what you plan."

"Grow a pair of balls Whitlock," I snarled. "You're in or you're out. You have to decide because I need you and I can't work with you if I have to censor what I can and can't tell you."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sorry this is a little late, I've been in Berlin with my daughter for a much needed break and LL has been touring the highland and northern coasts of Scotland so we have had a little trouble getting things read for you.


	60. Chapter 60

TNMC

Chapter 58

EPOV

In all the excitement of the day I had forgotten to check in with my mother's security team. I couldn't believe that I was missing Emmett so much but I needed him back. Fuck knows what I was going to do when he wanted a proper honeymoon and was gone for weeks. Jasper was licking his wounds or his pride; I'm not quite sure which after my little outburst. He needed to pick a side and quickly. If he wanted to be just my attorney I needed a new consigliore, if he wanted to be that then maybe it was time to find myself a new attorney who could work with him. Either way we needed to get that sorted so we could move forward.

Paul was already on his way to meet up with my friend and business partner across the border. There was likely to come a time where we would need some goodwill and it was good manners to inform my opposite number in Mexico that we needed a little help and guidance on finding all we could about the house and its owner. The locals would never talk to an outsider never mind an American. I'd already struck a deal that for a small donation to the right charitable fund, the house would be completely destroyed and all records of ownership would disappear from the relevant banks and retail agents. The land would be quietly transferred back to a local charity and all records of the Cullen's every being involved would be expunged.

As I poured myself a scotch I looked at the time. It was late afternoon and apart from a cup of coffee at my Aunt's I hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day. I slumped into my chair and wished I was in my office at home so I could at least wander out and hold Isabella close. That thought reminded me I needed to have the office cleaned and decorated. I quickly called through to Alex and he informed me it was already under way and I could use the room again tomorrow. He was still talking and I gathered Isabella had already contacted him about using some decorators she knew and an Interior designer. Before my mind could wander off I called down to the bar and ordered a steak sandwich and some fries before picking up the phone to my brother.

"I'm on my way back," part of me was a little put out that he assumed that was why I was calling, yet that thought soon slipped away as I realised he sounded happier than I'd ever heard him. A pang of jealousy ripped through me. "I'm going to drop Rosie off at the condo and let her unpack so I'll be with you in a couple of hours."

"Okay I have a fuck load of information to bring you up to date on, get here as soon as you can." I hung up before he heard the jealousy in my voice.

A knock on my office door disturbed the peace and quiet. I put my scotch down, made sure my gun was loaded, safety off and sitting where I could easily reach it before shouting for the visitor to come in.

"Boss I needed to show you something," said Alex. "I'm not quite sure what it means but you need to be prepared." Alex touched the screen of his ever present tablet. He turned it round to show me a video of the doorway of an ornate building.

"Just watch Boss," he said, reading the confusion on my face.

I sat wondering what I was supposed to see. The screen was focused on a red doorway that had beautiful rambling roses encircling it. It resembled some sort of fantasy gate way, no one would believe you were stepping off the sidewalk in Chicago. As I glanced at Alex he jut pointed back to the screen. Tanya was exiting the door. She looked a little dishevelled but the smile on her face was difficult to miss. I looked at the time stamp in the corner of the screen. It was earlier this afternoon 3.00pm. "Keep watching," he said as he touched the screen and it jumped forward. I went to ask a question but less than five minutes later according to the time on the screen my mother left through the same doorway.

"Is this my mother's new hotel?" I asked, already knowing it was.

"Yes Boss , once they had both left the guys went in to see if it was a coincidence they were both there together but apparently not. The receptionist didn't recognise either picture we showed him and he had been on shift last night when they should have checked in and he was definitely on the desk when they came out."

"Did you offer him an incentive to remember?"

"That's the thing Boss," said Alex, with a wry smile, "my guy offered him $500 to remember but the receptionist was adamant he hadn't seen them."

"So you think they have a private entrance to the suite?" I changed the subject. Part of me didn't want to know quite how loyal mother's inner circle was. Yet again I cursed my own blindness at not seeing the empire that she was building right under my nose.

"Definitely," he nodded, "we only caught them by chance. This isn't the main door, its round the side and it was only because we couldn't find a record of the booking that I made sure every doorway was covered. I even had someone on the staff entrance just in case. Boss we are not even sure how long they were in there, it could be a couple of nights it could have just been a few hours."

I thanked him and let him get back to all the different things I know he is looking after. When all this is over I'll make sure he gets a bonus and some time off. I didn't want to believe it but it was becoming clearer and clearer my mother and Tanya were in this together somehow.

"Yoo bro the married man is back!" Emmett's entrance was quiet and discreet. "Locked, loaded and balls drained." He strolled into the office like he owned the place, a smug grin plastered all over his face, and sat in the chair across from me."I feel as though I've been gone for week's bro, what's happening?"

"So what are those two doing together?" he asked, after I filled him in on everything right up until the discovery of the house in Mexico and the secret doorway in the hotel.

"I can't say I even knew they liked each other never mind spent time together." I could understand his confusion. Tanya never spent any time with my Mother as far as I knew other than the short vacation I'd just found out about.

"I have no idea but I've upped surveillance on both of them. Until I know what mother is planning everyone is under suspicion. This is the second time they have spent time alone in a hotel that I know of. Who knows how long they have been meeting up and plotting?"

"You don't think that they are…" Emmett made a strange face. "You know…" He sort of twitched his head a couple of times to the left.

"Don't be fucking ridiculous, of course they aren't together. I mean they both have men in their lives." That was a fucking stupid idea; his dirty mind was all over the place.

"We could just take our lovely Mom to the warehouse and torture it out of her?" I could sense Emmett's frustration. "How the hell are we ever going to get her to talk?" I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or just thinking out loud.

In all honestly, despite everything that she has done I don't think either Emmett or I had the appetite for torture. Plus Mother was probably tough enough to withstand most of what we could throw at her.

"I suppose we could set Aunt Sully on her? She must want to smash Mother's face in just about now?" Emmett joked but I could see in his face he was wondering if I was going to ask him to get involved.

"That is not a bad idea," I stroked my chin thoughtfully as logistics flashed through my brain. "We could get Aunt Sully to talk to her. We would just need to arrange it so it's somewhere we could control it and listen in." The relief was instant on his face as he realised I'd let him off the hook.

"What you think Mom would suddenly admit everything?" His smile was almost a sneer. "That woman has bigger balls than most of the goons I know, she wouldn't even flinch at being cornered by her friend."

"True, true," I nodded, "but at the moment Mother and Tanya don't know Denali is dead so we have a slight advantage. They also don't know yet that we have his new will either." My mind was racing as I tried to come up with a scenario of how to get everyone together. I could see Tanya, her mother and my mother all together as I dropped the bombshell that Denali had already been disposed of.

"How long can we keep that under wraps?" He pulled out his phone. A Whatsapp message was visible on the screen. He looked at it, smiled a secret smile which told me it was Rosie then put the phone back in his pocket, straight back to business. "Has Aunt Sully agreed to stay quiet?"

"She has, apparently Tanya is hardly ever home and I'm sure Mother and Denali fell out at your wedding. We both know how long Mother can hold a grudge so she would really expect Denali to make the first move. If we are lucky we still have a few days left before anyone starts to wonder where he is." I had a plan forming but at the moment it was just fragments, I needed to talk to Whitlock to help me put everything together.

"What about the Feds, was he still working with them?"

"Oh that's the part I'm really looking forward to. That fucker Jarvis is mine. I'm going to enjoy watching as we leave him hanging from the rafters of the warehouse. " I hated that man even more than I hated Denali.

"Killing a Fed man is not good news," said Emmett, frowning, "You will never see the light of day again if they can pin it on you."

"Well we'll just have to make sure I don't get caught then won't we." The lines on his forehead deepened as he looked at me intently.

BPOV

I was knee deep in wallpaper as I stripped the ridiculous pattern that was on the walls in the dining room. Steve and his crew were coming in tomorrow to start the redecoration but I just couldn't wait to strip the gaudy pattern away. It was quite therapeutic in a way, scraping away the old ready for the new.

"Hi honey you look busy, need a hand?"

I smiled and turned, balancing on the ladder to see Alice standing in the doorway. She looked like something out of a 50's advert in her brand new denim dungarees, checked shirt and her hair covered with a colourful bandana and matching lip stick.

"Well you certainly look the part." I laughed as I carefully got down and walked towards her. I left severely underdressed in my yoga pants and t shirt, my hair scrapped up into a bun on the top of my head.

"When I called earlier Mrs B told me what you were planning. I was going to see if you fancied an afternoon in town, a few drinks, lunch and maybe a museum or two but this sounded more fun. I've always hated this bland decoration." Alice twirled around looking at the elaborately decorated walls and ceiling, the gilt edged cornice and the heavily patterned curtains. "It's about time this place looked like a home instead of some spoilt little rich girls pathetic attempt at class."

I couldn't help but laugh because I knew what she meant. It just didn't quite work, I could see what Tanya and the designer had gone for but it lacked personality and there was no warmth in the design.

"Well I was just going to get it ready for the crew tomorrow. I know they would do it but I really needed to get stuck in now I know its happening."

Alice nodded and walked towards me "Well put me to work, what do you need doing?"

We agreed she would wrap a lot of the knick knacks and paintings that Tanya had left behind so they could be sent to Charity or the auction house, depending on their worth. Alice assured me Tanya would not have had anything in the house that wasn't expensive so she went in search of Mrs B to find bubble wrap and boxes. I turned the music up, my playlist of proper happy bubble gum pop blaring out as I went back up the step ladder and continued with ruining thousands of dollars worth of wallpaper.

The day passed quickly as we both got stuck in, Mrs B kept popping in and out with supplies and drinks. Every so often a certain song would cause us to burst into song and several Taylor Swift tracks had us shake, shake, shaking. We talked about nothing and everything and I couldn't help but feel I was bonding with her and I would have a friend and ally for life. We stayed away from the family business obviously but we talked about her and Jasper, Edward and Tanya, the Edward she'd grown up with and the Edward he was now. It was two friends, chatting while working on their home.

"I've really enjoyed today," I told her. We were in the kitchen. She was washing her hands with some expensive soap and I was drying mine. "It's been lovely to spend some time with you. I know we had a mad time for Rosie's hen night but this has been great, just getting to know you and spending time with you." I couldn't help myself as I reached forward and gave her a quick hug.

"You are just what my brother needs and I'm so glad he met you. But I have to ask are you really ready for the life you are getting involved in" There was something in her tone that made me turn back around to look at her. She had tears in her eyes but a smile on her face. "Will you stick by him? You know he will get arrested. And until you marry him you'll be fair game too. Even after you marry him people will see you as a way of getting to him." I swallowed, my throat tightening at this sudden outpouring of emotion. I couldn't tell if she was trying to warn me off marrying him or hurting him. "You won't leave him will you? Or worse still, play around and cheat like Tanya did?"

I hugged her close again and tried my best to reassure her I loved her brother. I could tell her that now I'd actually told him. "I will do my best to support him Alice, and as soon as we are married I will be part of his world as much as he'll let me. You and I are the future of the family as well and we have to do our part I realise that."

"I hope that you really mean that. I couldn't bear to lose you now, not now that I see how you have made Edward so happy."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

AN – I just wanted to explain because I seem to have confused some of you. Denali Snr is Edward's godfather and Carlisle's best friend. They are not blood related, he calls Denali's wife Aunt Sully out of respect, and she is not his paternal Aunt. That means that Tanya and Edward are not cousins, sorry if I confused some of you.


	61. Chapter 61

TNMC Chapter 59

There are multi Pov's in this chapter so watch for the headings please.

BPOV

I woke the next morning to a lovely surprise, Edward was still in bed asleep beside me. I turned to face him and watch for a few moments. He was lying on his back, one leg on top of the comforter, one leg covered, and an arm above his head. He looked peaceful, his face relaxed for once. I carefully cuddled up to his side, placing my head on his chest and my leg across his. His skin was warm and smooth, even the fine hairs on his legs felt soft against my bare skin. I felt safe as I lay there, every part of my body touching him. I started to draw little patterns in his chest hair, my fingers trailing lazily through the bronze wisps that turned into small hairs leading down to his self maintained pubic area. He wasn't a man that was ever going to go to a spa to be waxed or manscaped but he had at least offered to trim after the first time he realised blow jobs were definitely going to be on the agenda.

I knew his body well. I knew where the scars were, where he was ticklish and sensitive and I was learning more and more about what he liked sexually. What I didn't know much about was his life, how he had got each scar or why he didn't have a tattoo. I knew where he went to college but I didn't know anything about his time there. I had no idea if he had any friends outside of the family, people he could just be Edward with or whether that young man had now totally become Edward Cullen.

"Whatever has you thinking so hard?" a sleepy voice murmured. "I can actually hear your brain ticking." I looked up at him and his eyes were still closed but the rhythm of his chest had altered slightly. He was awake but only just.

"I was wondering about you as always, but that can wait till another day. I'm just glad I finally got to wake up next to you, it doesn't happen often enough." I was still running my fingers up and down his abs.

"It's not my fault you are a lazy madam who stays in bed till lunchtime. I'm a busy man, I have to be up and out in a morning." The relaxed full smile on his face was a delight to see and I reached up to peck his lips.

"Do you have to be up and out this morning Mr Cullen or would you rather be up and in?" I tried to use my best seductive voice but as the words left my mouth I knew it sounded stupid.

"Why miss Swan whatever do you mean?" He still hadn't opened his eyes but his smile was even wider and I knew he was happy. My hand trailed down his body until it rested on his already semi erect penis. "If you keep that up I can guarantee I will be staying here."

There was an invitation I wasn't going to let slip by. I wrapped my hand around his shaft and squeezed as hard as I could, my other hand collecting his ball sac. I knew what he liked, he loved it when I was rough with him so I as I started to work his shaft my other hand squeezed and pulled on his balls.

"Oh fuck Isabella," he breathed. I was always Isabella in bed, he called me sweetheart and baby and love sometimes, very rarely did he call me Bella, but in the throes of lust and passion I was always Isabella.

We spent the couple of hours or so exploring each other, for once there was no rushing or urgency, no need to reconnect. It was just the two of us enjoying each other in the security of our own private space.

"I need to get up and go and see to the contractors." I said, looking at the bedside clock. I started to untangle myself from his body. "It's already past ten; they should be here by now."

"Oh typical, you make me late for my meetings, use me and abuse me and now you've had your fill of me you are just going to toss me aside and get on with your day." Before he had even finished speaking he had pulled me back into bed and rolled on top of me.

"I could be persuaded to let Mrs B sort out the contractors if you are offering a better alternative?" I loved this side of him so much, he was carefree and happy and though I was happy I was the only one who saw it in these circumstances. It was a shame he couldn't let this Edward out to play more.

It was early afternoon by the time I finally made it out of bed. I couldn't believe we had actually been left alone that long and it wasn't until we finally stepped out of the shower and he turned his phone back on that I realised why we had been left alone.

"So this wasn't spontaneous then, you switched your phone off so we could have some time together?" But he was already enthralled in reading texts and emails. It was sad in a way but I was glad he had realised we needed some alone time that wasn't just a few snatched hours in bed at night.

I got dressed in some casual legging and a T-shirt. If i was going to be in the house supervising the decorators I at least was going to be comfortable. Mrs B had coffee ready and quickly started to make breakfast for us.

"Will Mr Cullen be joining you?" she asked, knowing full well it was highly unlikely.

"I don't know what his plans are today but he should be down shortly." just then he walked into the kitchen.

I looked up at him and Edward Cullen Mob Boss was back. The three piece suit, dress shirt and tie were in place as well as the shiny Italian black leather brogues he wore every day. He was still reading something on his phone and he stretched out his hand and Mrs B placed a travel cup of hot coffee into it.

"Does he do that every morning?" I asked as he still hadn't acknowledged either of us.

"We have a routine that works Isabella," interrupted Edward. "Mrs B has my coffee and breakfast ready. I collect it on my way out, that way everyone is happy, I get fed, Mrs B has done her job and you are happy I'm being looked after." He smirked, picked up a wrapped parcel I hadn't noticed on the side and walked out, letting the front door slam behind him.

I took a sip of my cooling coffee and looked at the door he had just left through. Mrs B smiled gently as she wiped the pristine counters before coming to a stop across from me.

"The contractors have already started Bella," she explained. "They have completely stripped the walls already, the curtains are down and on their away to the dry cleaners. I know they won't be going back up but at least if they are clean you can decide what to do with them. All the boxes Alice packed up yesterday have gone to the auction house along with the paintings. All you have to do now is decide on what you want to do with the furniture."

I followed her, coffee still in hand, to the now blank dining room. The hardwood floor was covered in layers of what looked like old blankets topped with polythene, the walls and windows were indeed bare so all that was left in the room was a huge ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a heavily carved rose wood table and twenty four matching chairs that had been upholstered to match the curtains and a large side board that was as long as the table. They were not my taste and I was pretty sure they weren't Edwards either.

"I think they can all go to the auction house as well don't you?" I looked at Mrs B and she nodded.

"I'll get them to fetch them today then you have a blank canvas to work with."

As she left the room to start making more calls it suddenly struck me that I had absolutely no idea what I actually wanted to do with this room.

EPOV

"Emmett," I began, "I've been thinking about what you said about Jarvis and how careful we are going to have to be."We were back in my office at the club. Emmett was with me as well as my father and Whitlock. They knew I wasn't coming in until lunchtime so they were already waiting when I arrived a short time ago..

"He's a Fed," replied Emmett with a frown, "you know they will pull all the stops out to find his killer. You will be top of the list especially once they realise the old perv that's been spying for them is missing."

"That is why we have to get everything in place so that he dies or disappears while I'm on honeymoon." I could see my father nodding in agreement, understanding what I was thinking. "Or even better," I continued, "on the day of my wedding."

"Have you even asked her yet Edward?" my father asked pointing out an obvious flaw in the plan.

"I'm working on it" I replied to a series of whistles from my brother.

"Just because you aren't in the country doesn't mean they can't charge you as an accessory," cautioned Whitlock, "it would have to be done in such a way that it can't ever be traced back to you at all." I looked at Whitlock, this was the first time I'd seen him since I'd asked him to choose.

"I that your opinion as my attorney or my friend?" I asked, wanting to finally get this mess sorted.

"Neither, it's as your trusted advisor," he smiled a grim smile. "Not for now but I think that we should find you a new attorney." His speech was forthright and strong and whatever decisions he had had to make inside his own head had been sorted out. I was glad he was on board and we could move forward.

"My advice is that we make it look like suicide," he began, confidently. "No one really knows what goes on inside someone else's head." He started counting on his fingers. "He has a highly stressful job, he is about to learn he has lost Denali, which in turn means he has lost you. That will get him a shit load of grief from his superiors and maybe even put the task force in jeopardy. That could be what tips him over the edge."

"We can go in while he's asleep," butted in Emmett, eyes alight and completely on board, "set it up and bingo, the disgraced agent hangs himself in the hour of his worst shame."

"No it has to be more personal than that," I said, unconsciously cracking my knuckles in the compulsive way that would have made Isabella grimace if she was near. "He doesn't get off that easy I want a slow controlled death where he knows he's dying and can do fuck all about it."

"The easiest way to get to him is through his partner if he has one." My father spoke for the first time and the glint in his eye made him look like the man who had trained me, not the man ready to retire from this life. "Take him or her out and he will be so raw knowing it's his fault he will suffer and people will genuinely believe its suicide."

"I don't want to just hurt him," I told Carlisle, my hands balling into fists on the tabletop with the strength of my hate. "I want to destroy him."

"Son I have told you so many times," replied Carlisle gently, "this can't be personal. If you make it personal you will lose control, details will be missed and you will find yourself in a court room."

"But it is personal," I told him, "that's the whole fucking point."

"Then you should walk away and let your men sort it. You cannot be responsible for something you have no knowledge of." As ever he was the voice of reason, of course I wanted the fucker to suffer, he'd filled my Isabella's mind with stories about me that could never be removed. Things she never needed to ever be aware of.

"First let's find out all we can about his movements and then we'll make some decisions." Everyone nodded and the discussion was closed down for the time being, I knew though that my face would be last he ever saw.

Tanya's POV

"What a coincidence Tanya, I can't believe you chose today as your first day back at the grind stone."

Gerard was standing behind his desk in the auction house as I breezed into what was once my second home. I'd been in here nearly every day for the past few years right up until that bastard husband of mine had started divorce proceedings and turned my nest egg into a pile of ash. I looked around, nothing had changed, Gerard's jacket was where it always was, his desk was still as messy as ever and the workspace I'd commandeered as my own was just as I'd left it. I ran my fingers along the desktop of the antique Queen Anne piece I insisted on using. It was thick with dust and I turned and looked at him, raising one eyebrow. It was a look that I knew intimidated him and right on cue he started to get flustered.

"I see we didn't dust while I was away trying to save my marriage." He looked down at the floor, all the bravado of his greeting quickly disappearing.

"We are surrounded by antiques," he stammered, "the customers expect dust." He shrugged his shoulders, feigning indifference and went to sit behind his desk.

"A little housekeeping before we sit down don't you think?" I looked at the desk again. This was now a battle of wills. I had to get him back into the relationship we used to have if I was going to pick up where I left off. He tried to stare me down but it was pathetic really, I'd been taught by the best how to get my own way. It took about thirty seconds longer than I originally imagined but he was soon scurrying off to find the special cloth and wax needed to restore the top of the desk back to the condition it was in the last time I used it.

I sat at his desk at started to read through the paperwork he was currently working on, there were a few interesting pieces due in and I'd missed several that would have been perfect for the house once Edward finally forgave me and realised he was bored with his new woman. He needed his freedom, not being tied down playing husband, the novelty would soon wear off.

"So are you back trading Tanya?" asked Gerard. "Or are you just here to say goodbye to your beautiful dining room furniture? I have to say I was surprised to get the call earlier to collect it."

"Whatever do you mean?" Anger rose in my stomach like a red tide. "I haven't sent anything to be sold."

I needed this guy on my side. We had traded closely together over the last few years, he would tip me off in anything was coming in that I might like and in return I made sure he sold any antiques I picked up from small auctions, the internet and any little pieces that I obtained from my so called privileged friends and acquaintances at the country club that needed liquidating quickly. It was amazing what pieces of jewellery, vases, paintings and even furniture were quietly disposed of by the husbands and wives when they needed cash they didn't want their other half to know about. I made sure over the years that I knew who had a coke habit, gambling habit or even a hooker habit so I could just drop into conversations that I loved the antique trade and had several acquaintances willing to acquire or dispose of anything. Before long I was the go to girl for the rich and not so rich anymore who needed a quick and discreet sale.

"Your dining room furniture is going into the next specialist sale," he continued. "I have it on the internet already because I kept the details from when you bought it. I have to say the set is already gathering significant levels of interest."

I kept my face as still as possible as I pulled out my phone and clicked the bookmark for the auction site. There in all its glory on the front page was my absolute pride and joy. I'd left it behind because it just wouldn't fit on the truck and I thanked my lucky stars for that every day. I had every intention of fetching it as soon as I could but there hadn't been a chance yet to sneak back in and take it.

"Who the fuck sent it here and why?" Gerard was already scrambling for the paperwork.

"The name on the paperwork is Miss Isabella Swan and according to the delivery guys who picked up several large boxes of antiques this morning there is a lot of redecoration work going on." My throat started to constrict. I held onto the side of the table and took a few long, deep, shuddering breaths to steady myself. I had written that bitch off as a diversion but now it seemed as if she was getting her talons more and more firmly into Edward. I pasted a smile onto my face and sat down at the desk as Gerard scurried off to fetch my favourite herbal tea. I would have to remove Isabella Swan if I had any hope of getting what I wanted.

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Thank you so much to LL for getting this back to me, she has done a wonderful job as ever.

I'm going to let you into a little secret it's my big birthday tomorrow, I'm going to be saying goodbye to my forties. I'm okay with it, and as a thank you for all your amazing reviews I'm going to try and post an out take tomorrow.

I also want to let you all know I've signed up for the Babes at the Border compilation. I have just about finished my entry, it's a future take for my story That Night. I know it's not to everyone's cup of tea but I do love those two. There are about 40 of your favourite fanfic authors already signed up, most of them firm favourites with most of you so please make a donation, every bit will help.


	62. Chapter 62

TNMC – out take.

Thank you so much to all of you who sent me birthday wishes. I am not surrounded by demonstrative family so it's nice every now and again to feel special.

Okay this has not been to my beta, LL does not even know I'm posting it. So if you find any errors they are all mine.

Esme POV

"Tanya Darling what a lovely surprise, I was just thinking about you and wondering when we'd have the chance to be together again." I held my breath, Tanya very rarely called me so I was hoping this was a turning point and she was getting ready to actually admit how she felt.

"Oh for fuck's sake Esme this is far more important, that slut of a mistress your son has installed in my home has sent my prize dining room furniture to the auction house knowing it's where I do my business. How can the evil bitch do that to me, it took me months to find that and it cost your son 250k to buy it." I could hear the myriad of emotions in my lovers' voice, she was jealous, bitter, annoyed but most of all she was angry. It tore at my heart that she was still angry about the divorce, I knew as she had never loved my son, but the match on paper was a good one, they had grown up together, both of them in this way of life.

I was jealous of her freedom, she didn't realise just how easy she had it and the irony of our situations always made me smile. I'd had to stay married to get the wealth, power and position forsaking love and sexual fulfilment. Tanya on the other hand was trying desperately to get back into a marriage with a man she didn't love so she could have the wealth and the station in life, not caring about love and sex. She fully intended to get them elsewhere while being Mrs Cullen once more.

"Tanya, sweetheart I've told you several times, he loves her and he is going to marry her at some point"

"How can you possibly know that, when was the last time you even spoke to him?" her comment was cutting, as she meant it to be, but truthful.

"I don't need to speak to him to know what's going on in his life, your father keeps me a breast of what's happening and he is adamant that Edward has already proposed." I wasn't entirely sure that was the truth but I needed her to realise he wasn't going to have her back in his life or his home and certainly not his bed. She needed to move forward with her life, preferably with me.

"Well that is bullshit, if Edward Cullen was engaged every rag in the city would have it on their society pages, I haven't heard a whisper." Her voice quivered and it saddens me that she still saw him in her future.

"Talking of Daddy have you seen him? He didn't come home last night and mother really didn't seem that bothered, in fact she was the most relaxed I've seen her in months."

"I haven't spoken to your father for a few days and I won't until he gets around to apologising to me."

"What did he do this time?" Tanya asked but I could tell I was already losing her attention; she had the attention span of a small child when the conversation wasn't centred on her.

"He demanded to know where I was and what I was doing, as I explained to him he isn't my keeper or my father so he had no right to demand that sort of information. When he is ready to apologise and understand that he doesn't get to have that sort of relationship with me I will speak to him In the meantime I'm enjoying not having to let him crawl all over my body." I hated acknowledging my sexual relationship with her father when I spoke to her but Tanya didn't seem the slightest bit concerned about what we were doing. She came to my bed knowing her father could quite possibly have just left it.

"What are you going to do about my dining room furniture, you will have to buy it for me and we can send it down to Mexico to the house." The change in her voice was instantaneous, it was that silly little voice she used when she thought she could try and get her own way. I had no doubt in worked on her father every time, just as I had no doubt it never worked on her mother.

"Tanya the house is finished and completely furnished you know that, I'm just waiting for the right moment to move in. You know I have responsibilities to my charities to fulfil before I can finally move." I was in the final planning stages, my new identity was not only ready but it was already working for me, most of the cash I needed had already been transferred and was sitting in the new accounts. I was just waiting for the first of the hits to happen but for some reason it was taking time. I'd have thought at least one would have happened by now but I realise how well guarded my family are and accept it will take some time. The money to pay Jacob Black was with Denali, he could pay that and I would make sure the Feds knew how to trace the payment just in case Emmett wasn't clever enough to work out Denali was the one who organised the hit. I really didn't hold out much hope but that lowly lawyer my daughter married seemed to know his way around so between them they may actually work it out without me having to point them in the right direction.

"So you aren't going to buy it for me then?" Her voice had changed again, gone was the sweet little girl trying to get her own way, in its place a manipulative woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

"No Tanya I'm not, what need would I have for a table that sits twenty four people? I'll be lucky if I ever have more than one visitor when I can finally move." I was still hopeful she would move with me but the longer it took and the more fixated she became on Edward's new partner; well the chances were reducing gradually.

I knew before I even looked at the screen on my phone that she had ended the call, it was always the same, if she didn't get her own way she sulked. I was slowly realising that maybe Edward Snr was probably not the only person being played at the moment. It was highly likely that Tanya was toying with me. I sat in the sunroom at my so called home, the place where I started my married life and where my children grew up and I tried to take stock. Was it time to disappear anyway, to just move to Mexico and leave everything behind? I could build the life I always dreamed of, painting, reading, pottering in my garden and never having to organise and attend another lunch, gala, party or reception ever again. It was a dream, I knew that, the Cullen family would keep looking for me if I just disappeared; they would have to be seen to do the right thing and a full scale search would start. No destroying the family was the only way to get out, whether it was with Tanya or alone.

The house was quiet and even the staff seemed invisible as I looked round to ask for some tea. For the first night in weeks I had a free night and no one to share it with. I couldn't face the country club or any of the big restaurants in the city, to go there I would have to contact Carlisle and request we make an appearance and I really couldn't face that or him tonight. I nearly caved and called Denali but that would mean I'd have to have sex with him and I needed at least one more night with a female body before I could go back to him.

I dialled number I'd been using for years, it was discreet and they knew what I needed and desired, as soon as they registered my number on their computer system I didn't even need to speak they would send someone within the hour. Decision made I went to get ready for a night of sex, no feelings attached, just glorious sex with someone who was trained to make my body sing and who in turn would let me do the same to them. It didn't matter I wouldn't know her name, that wasn't important, this was a business transaction and we both knew it.

Tanya POV

Everything was spiralling out of condition, Daddy was AWOL sulking probably that his precious Esme wasn't speaking to him. Edward still hadn't called, I'm fully aware we are divorced but I would have thought that by now he'd be bored of his new fuck buddy and be ready to go back to being the power couple we used to be. I was seriously beginning to wonder if I was going to have to do some grovelling and let him have control in the bedroom for a while to gain some leverage.

I hated being submissive in the bedroom, I needed to be in charge and unfortunately so did Edward. We weren't a good match; it just did nothing for me when he tried to get rough with me, fucking me hard. I love cock as much as the next woman but I liked to be in charge; my men have to be submissive and prepared to do as they are told. I wore the cock in the bedroom; my man's was usually in a cage where it belonged.

Esme had been quite the surprise, the first time she flirted with me I was sure I was imagining it, but as soon as she realised I wasn't that shocked she made sure I wasn't getting mixed signals. I'd slept with women before, I'd briefly flirted with a BDSM lifestyle and tried to maintain keeping subs but it was just too much hassle and hard work. I'd wanted the sex but not the responsibility of looking after them so I hadn't lasted long as a domme. I did love sex with women though and Esme was warm and a very willing pussy.

It didn't take long for her to start talking about Mexico and leaving everyone behind as soon as she realised just how much my marriage to her son had fallen apart. It started with lunches to discuss charity events, followed by dinners and trips to the theatre. She seduced me, or so she thought, personally I'd have preferred it if she had been upfront from the beginning about what she wanted but I was fully in the picture now and she was in love with me. The poor woman had no idea how desperate and needy she came across, but while she had control over Daddy and his estate as well as all that money she had hidden in Mexico, well let's just say I was perfectly content to let her lick my pussy, it was a win win situation for me.

What I really needed was Edward out of the way if he wasn't coming back to me, then I could go back to my beautiful home and sort out all the devastation that slut was causing. Daddy would buy the house off the estate or if I was really lucky Edward wouldn't have thought to redo his will and it would come to me anyway. I am going to enjoy throwing whatever her name is out the minute I know the house is my again. In the mean time I need to find Daddy and find out what the hell is going on and whether Edward really has proposed to her.

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So there it is, Tanya is definitely Esme's lover and she is in on the plan to leave for Mexico but she doesn't know about the two 'hits' Esme and Denali have arranged. So Edward now has someone else who is hoping for his demise.


	63. Chapter 63

TNMC

Chapter 60

EPOV

The new day brought a little calmness into the daily routine. I had to get up to speed on what had been happening in the legitimate side of the business as well as find out where we were with the not so legal sides. I had planned to spend the next day in the boardroom of one of the family businesses downtown and with Jasper and my newly appointed attorney, Jenny, a former top tier commercial lawyer who had grown bored with the corporate ladder. This would be her first meeting with the relevant people from each business. I had chosen this property specifically as recently I had made sure the boardroom was redecorated separately from the rest of building. It now had in built signal blockers so the feds couldn't listen in and a separate Wi-Fi system to the rest of the building that Alex had made sure was as secure as possible. I really didn't give a fuck about the decoration or what carpet was the most calming but the floor to ceiling windows were giving me some very unsavoury thoughts about fucking my Isabella pushed up against them. I cleared my mind as the first set of suits walked in.

I liked to try and do this at least once a quarter so they realised I wasn't just some name over the door and that I did understand how the different businesses worked. It's amazing how some people thought I was just a dumb guy with no head for figures and strategies. It took most of the day but it was clear that the legitimate side of the business was thriving and we would be able to move more and more of the illegal cash into these businesses to produce legitimate profits. It's a shame we had to pay tax on it but that was a small price to pay if it kept the accountants happy.

The illegal side of things was discussed in the same boardroom but only after another technology sweep proved we hadn't had any unfriendly visitors since my last visit. The group of suits was a lot smaller as this was on a need to know basis. First on the agenda was the disposal of Denali, I didn't want to know where his body ended up, I didn't need to know and I trusted my men to make sure he was never found again. Aunt Sully was aware she wasn't going to have a body to bury and she was happy with that. We had sorted out her finances, she was now on every bank account Denali used, several of which she had no idea about, and we had transferred cash to make sure she was set for life. I'd also made sure Tanya couldn't draw from any of the accounts without her Mother's say so. When we talked about what she would say to people about his disappearance she surprised me. I'd expected her to blame Esme and to try and insinuate they had run off together but she was far more devious than that. My Aunt was going to tell everyone who would listen that her husband had gone into witness protection because he had got involved with some really dangerous criminals and he had turned super grass. I wasn't so sure that was a good idea but Jasper agreed with her, it would explain the lack of a body. It would also permanently disgrace Denali and when questions were asked in our world, Stephan would be my witness that Denali was actually long gone. The person who would suffer most was Tanya. She would no longer be able to trade on his name or have access to his accounts and I'm sure that made the decision a little easier for my Aunt.

The only outstanding problems we had now were Esme and Jarvis/Volturi. I still wasn't sure what to do with her but Jarvis; well we were well into the planning stage. I dismissed most of the suits I longer needed,, keen to move on.

"Alex has sent through his report," I barked, opening mine on the new Ipad Alex had insisted I keep with me. I had a feeling I was being tracked, for my own safety of course, and it gave me a weird feeling of security. If they could find me quickly I had a better chance of getting back to Isabella.

"Has everyone read it?" It was just the three of us now, myself Jasper and Emmett. I finally understood what Jasper had been trying to tell me about lawyer/ client relationships so we had asked Jenny to step out.

Jasper scrolled through the report on his tablet, while Emmett squinted at the same details on the small screen of his mobile.

"So he is a real boring shit who doesn't go or do anything other than work and drink coffee?" Emmett snorted in disgust at the picture painted in front of us of Jarvis. "How the fuck do we move him from this to a man who's on the edge and ready to hang himself?"

"We need to make sure the disappearance of Denali becomes public knowledge," said Jasper, thoughtfully. "I know we can't actually broadcast it on the local news, but we need to get everyone who works for us on the streets spreading the word. The more we can implicate him with these fictional criminals without the Cullen family name being mentioned the better. We need to embarrass the Feds and Jarvis, the streets need to be laughing at them."

I agreed with Jasper, we did need the humiliation factor but the question was how we were going to get into the public domain without implicating ourselves.

"We need one of the officials, or better still the governor, to start asking questions at City Hall. That way it will get reported on and the taskforce Jarvis is running will be asked serious questions about how they are getting their information and the reliability of it." I could see how that would work and I knew just the person who could put enough pressure on the Governor to do it. It would also give me a chance to observe her and find out just how much she knew about where Denali actually was. "Well Edward you know who we have to send in to do that job," Emmett had picked up my train of though and Jasper's idea to bring it to the logical conclusion. "Esme needs to have one of her famous lunches and make sure that the conversation flows in the right direction."

"I had the same thought, but can we trust her?" My brows knitted as I thought, as far as we were aware she still didn't know that we know about her. "She maybe our mother but I'm under no illusions about her, she is prepared to kill me and frame you, could we trust her to do family business still?"

"Well we do have a reason for a celebration, she should throw a lunch to introduce her new daughter in law to the country club set. My Rosie may not be the brightest tool in the box but she knows she will have to do things like this. The problem mother will have is that if she doesn't do something for Rosie everyone will know she doesn't like her and Mother would never let the family be talked about like that."

"If it was a celebratory lunch then surely Alice and Isabella could go too?" I would definitely feel better if they were there to keep a wary eye on proceedings. "They would both be able to keep up with what was being discussed and let us know. Shit, if we do this right we could just listen in anyway."

Jasper nodded in agreement so I quickly dialled Esme. I hadn't spoken to her in a while, in fact since Emmett's wedding. She picked up on the third ring, surprisingly eager.

"Yes Edward, to what do I owe the pleasure?" As ever cold and calculating, I could almost hear her brain trying to come up with the different scenarios of why I'd called.

"Esme I think it's time you threw a lunch to celebrate welcoming Rosie into the family..." before I could even finish my sentence she cut me off.

"Who is Rosie?"

"Well if you hadn't been so busy and actually attended your son's wedding you'd know who Rosie is."

"You let him marry the waitress?" She sighed, heavily, as if the weight of all the world lay on her shoulders. "Really Edward I expected better of you, him not so much but you."

"Your opinion is not important to him or me, he has married Rosie because he loves her, something I know you have no concept of." I took a deep breath, striving to keep calm. "I want you to arrange a lunch or dinner where we can introduce her to your friends and some specially invited guests, do you understand?"

My tone matched hers and for the first time ever I realised I hadn't even thought about giving way for an easy life. All my life I done what she thought was best because she was my mother; she was to be respected and accommodated as much as possible. Well no more. It's about time she learned who was actually the head of this family.

"No I don't understand Edward," her voice was firm. "I'm far too busy with my own life to throw frivolous little parties for people who will be here one minute and gone the next. When he finds himself a proper wife who can support him and carry on my work then I will get involved but this trollop should have stayed on the side like your father's slut."

"Really Esme are you quite sure of that because in my book that is quite hypocritical of you," she wasn't going to help and I had a sudden urge to wound her. "You are in a relationship with my Godfather and have been for years and you are also spending night in hotels with his daughter, who just happens to be my ex-wife. It doesn't paint the perfect picture of you now does it Mrs Cullen? You do remember that is your name don't you? A name you acquired upon marrying my father, not one you were born with. It's also a name that can be ripped away from you quite easily. Now, as the head of the family I'm telling you. You will organise the lunch and I will send over to you shortly the names of all the guests I need you to make sure are there. This is non negotiable so you make it happen and soon, do I make myself clear?"

There was silence for a few seconds and I expected her to just hang up and ignore me but what actually happened stunned me. In a very quiet voice, almost a whisper, I heard her say. "You know about me and Tanya, you know we are lovers?"

Thank fuck she wasn't on speaker phone because apart from having to calm Emmett down due to her stinging attack on Rosie, I wasn't ready for him to know he had been right about my mother and my ex-wife. I felt my shirt collar tighten and the veins in my neck expand. Small black swirls floated in front of my eye balls as I tried to keep clam. The last time I'd been this angry a man had died; he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had owed me thousands of dollars. I'd beaten him to death with a baseball bat.

I wasn't going to let her know I had no clue about them, but she had just signed her own death warrant. It was bad enough that she was sleeping with my godfather but my own wife.

"Of course I do, do you think you could hide something like that from me?" All my years of bluffing and bullshitting came into play as I tried to reign myself in and stay calm all the time wondering How the fuck had I missed that? She was speaking and I needed to concentrate, I needed her to be the one caught off guard.

"If you knew why would you let it carry on, why haven't you said anything?" her voice was almost unrecognisable and I couldn't work out whether it was relief or dread, both must surely have been weighing heavy on her.

I took a deep breath and looked up at Emmett, he knew me well enough to know the conversation had taken a detour and he was trying to understand what was happening from my answers.

"It didn't and continues not to affect me in any way so it's not important, why should who you sleep with be any of my business, unless of course you would like to admit to sleeping with any of my rivals or enemies" I waited for her to surprise me again, was she going to admit to anything or anyone ? She remained silent and I could almost hear her planning her next move.

"So, I can take it that you will be arranging a lunch?"

She was quiet as she took in what I had said and I toyed with the idea of making a comment about what I knew, how I knew everything she did or even to mention Jacob Black but in the end I let it go. When she came to terms with everything she'd just found out she would either come out fighting or she would be docile. My instincts told me the first option so I needed to have something else up my sleeve. I hung up as she gave her monosyllabic agreement.

"Fuck Edward you really gave it to her, how did she take it?" Emmett asked, a huge smile on his face.

"Well let's just say she is not too happy about welcoming Rosie to the family but I'm pretty sure she has gone away to check her diary."

He high fived me, a juvenile reaction but I understood his need to mark what he saw as the first time we had stood up to her. What he was missing was he'd done a far braver thing marrying Rosie because he loved her.

"Okay back to business, who do we need at this lunch?" Jasper asked, he already had his laptop open and I could see he was typing names.

"So far I have the governor and his family, the chief of police and his family, all the local senators we have on the payroll as well as you two plus Rosie and Isabella."

I thought or a moment about my mother's reaction and decided to play a dangerous game.

"Add my father and Liz I want everyone to witness my mother squirm so don't put them on the list you give my mother but when we know the venue we can add places." I told him as I imagined my mother's face when Liz walked into the restaurant.

"Right let's move on to actually killing Jarvis, are we agreed on what we are going to do?" Emmett asked as Jasper carried on typing.

"Yes I think so, somehow we get the paralysing drug into his system so he remains awake and conscious but unable to move, and once he is fully immobile we put him in the bath of warm water and we open up his veins. That way he bleeds to death slowly, fully aware he's dying and unable to do anything about it. It will look like suicide but we'll know it wasn't." I was happy with the suffering bit and him being fully aware he could do nothing about bleeding death. I have every intention of standing in front of him as he slips into death. I will be the last person he sees and I will remind him of everything he is saying good bye to.

"There is one flaw in that plan," said Jasper. "If they perform an autopsy or drug screen on his body and it comes up with a complicated or unusual drug it will ring alarm bells. We need to go with a street drug so it looks less suspicious."

"Oh that's easy I'll pick some 'K' up from one of the distributors," boasted Emmett. "I'll get enough to leave a stash in his apartment. I will make sure it looks like a personal stash of a regular user but not enough to class him as a pusher."

"Will that do the job we need it to do?" I asked our new resident drug expert.

"In the right dose it does cause temporary paralysis," he explained, "which is what we require, and a tox screen would find it easily. With a stash in his apartment it would be explained easily."

"So how do we get the drug into him?" If this ended up in a struggle it would raise suspicions.

"That's even easier," Emmett grinned, "he always stops at the same coffee shop on his way home, orders the same coffee and muffin. He always has it to go and he only lives a block further on so every time we've watched him so far he hasn't taken a sip until he gets out of the car on his drive at home."

"So who is going to put the drug into the drink?"

"Already sorted," Emmett's grin almost looked a little smug, "one of our guys started working there yesterday."

"Okay so we need this to happen two or three days after the lunch as soon as word gets out about Denali." I looked at them both for their agreement.

"Let's hope Mother plays ball and gets everything together quickly."


	64. Chapter 64

TNMC

Chapter 61

There are a few POV's in this chapter so keep an eye out for the changes please.

EPOV

Jasper and Emmett left the office much later in the day, each with a list of jobs that needed to be attended to. I was finally able to sit back and try to absorb the information that we had obtained. I got up from behind the conference table. Not only was my ass sore from sitting all day, but I needed to pace. My heart was telling me to go home and hold Isabella close but my head was saying something completely different. Unfortunately my head had kept me alive and my business running for a long time and I had to listen to its practical overtones. "The club," I muttered, getting into the back of the black Range Rover.

"Boss are we in for a late one?" I looked up from the screen of my phone, frowning. Seth rushed on, a little nervously. "It's just I have a date tonight because I thought you would be in suit mode, you know business hours?" Seth was looking at me through the rear view mirror trying to gauge my mood.

"When the fuck do we work business hours?" I yelled, anger spilling over suddenly and violently as I punched the seat in front of me. I needed to desperately let off some steam and other than fucking Isabella into the middle of next week I had no idea how I was going to calm down. Seth took the hint and lapsed into silence. I felt bad for a moment, knowing how I would feel at the prospect of missing a date with Isabella. I shook the feeling off, my family was under threat, it was no time to be making my human side known.

In the club I locked the door of my office and paced slowly in a circle in front of my desk. The new leather couches and glass topped occasional side table got in my way as my need to move got more and more urgent.

I stopped for a moment. The shadow that fell across my desk drew a straight line across some papers and a lap top screen sitting open on the latest Google maps shot of the property in Mexico. The image stoked my anger and I knew I had to try and get my emotions under control or the office would need refurbishing yet again. I threw my suit jacket onto the nearest couch and my tie and vest quickly followed. I wanted to scream and hit something but I couldn't pinpoint what it was that was actually annoying me. I was angry at my Mother and I knew years and years of resentment at her emotionless treatment of us was finally surfacing, but that wasn't the main focus of my anger. The more I paced the more I realised how much time and energy I had wasted on my marriage. I didn't love Tanya and I never had, meeting Isabella had made that abundantly clear. I wasn't even bothered she was in some sort of relationship with my own mother, apart from the angle of how that would look to our enemies. No, what was driving my anger at the moment was the fact I felt used, used by both Tanya and my mother. That was unforgivable. I perched on the end of my desk and tried to analyse if I had ever used either of them. My relationship with my mother was driven by her, I hadn't had a decent conversation with her in years and I had no recollection of ever having a cuddle with her past the age of about five. Everything my mother did was for her, I couldn't use someone who only took from me.

My relationship with Tanya was more complicated given the weight of expectation from our families, I firmly believe that we had used each other. After we finally gave in and admitted we were better off as a couple in the public eye only, I made sure she had everything she needed. I never controlled her spending, commented on her friends. I'd even given her enough free rein that she had managed to take at least one lover without my knowledge. Was I annoyed she was seeing my mother? No, I genuinely didn't give a shit, she could be sleeping with the entire senate for all I cared but I was interested to know just how much she knew about my mother's plans. I really needed to know what she knew about her father and whether she knew he was also sleeping with Esme. I remembered then that Tanya's mother, the woman I called my Aunt because she had been in my life for as long as I could remember, had told me that Tanya had taunted her about her father's affair with my mother.

The light bulb moment was instant. Tanya was in this with Esme, I had no doubt in my mind. Now I just needed to find a way to bring them both down, publically and with as much humiliation as possible.

I could no longer feel my legs and I realised I'd been leaning against the side of my desk for a while. As I looked down at my feet I could see the nap of the pale grey carpet showed a distinct path where I had been pacing. I rubbed the sole of my leather brogue against the soft fibres, playing with the carpet as I started to imagine scenarios that would work. I needed a drink, in fact I needed several. I finally pushed myself off the desk and walked towards my decanter of scotch, it was half full and as I poured myself a huge tumbler I knew I wasn't going home tonight.

I never slept, despite emptying the decanter a little more every hour through the night. Isabella had called and texted several times but I just couldn't speak to her. I knew if I did I would take my anger out on her, another reason for not going home. Deep down in my psyche I knew I would go caveman on her. Although I hadn't loved Tanya, the humiliation of her turning to another woman burned bright. It made me feel… Well, I wasn't entirely sure what I felt but at the moment I was blaming inflated male pride. I just knew if I went near Isabella tonight she would bear the brunt of this new revelation. It was easier all-round if I just stayed here tonight.

Esme POV

He knows. Edward knows and he never said anything. I was trying to second guess my oldest son. On one hand if he did know and he wasn't bothered then a lot of my planning has been for nothing, Tanya and I could have just disappeared to Mexico quietly. Who was I kidding? Tanya never did anything quietly and she would never be happy living a quiet life in Mexico with me while Edward and his new woman ruled Chicago.

On the other hand, if he had only just found out and this was all new to him things could be quite uncomfortable. I needed to speak to Denali. If Edward had just found out he would tell his godfather. I needed information from that old letch before he realised I was sleeping with his daughter. I took a deep breath and picked up my mobile. I hadn't spoken to Denali in days. Past experience suggested he should be at the stage now where he would forgive me anything just to get back into my good books and bed. I shuddered as I realised he would come straight over tonight and expect to sleep with me. The thought of him crawling all over me, still trying to get some sort of reaction out of my clit even though I'd explained numerous times that Carlisle had treated me so badly, I had no sexual urges anymore. It had been the wrong thing to tell him, I'd expected him to understand and leave me alone but it had had the reverse effect, he seemed to think he could reignite my body with his fingers and tongue. It was getting near time to tell him he had the wrong sort of equipment to ever get a response out of me. I was glad I'd had an incredibly satisfying night last night. I could use that in my mind to actually get through the acts to come.

As his mobile went straight to answer phone, I wondered where he was, he never ignored my calls. I tried his direct line in his office at his house and that just rang out also. I toyed with calling Sully to see if she knew where he was but for some reason I didn't. A huge wave of relief swept over me, I had a reprieve for tonight but I would have to track him down tomorrow.

Bella's POV

He didn't come home. It was the first time when I was aware he hadn't actually gotten into bed with me. Usually if he was in late and out early I could tell he'd been in bed and could see his discarded clothes in a heap on the floor near the laundry chute. The man had a chute in his closet direct to the laundry room and he still managed to leave everything on the floor for a couple of days before he swept everything up and tossed it down for washing. It was 7am and I wasn't sure what to do, in his line of work anything could have happened. My only saving grace was that if anything bad had happened I would have known by now. No way could they have taken out Carlisle, Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Alex and Seth. I could call Seth, he would know. I got out of bed and went through my usual morning routine, all the time wondering if he was actually in a ditch somewhere. I couldn't actually bring myself to let that image form in my head so I did what I always do and called myself out. "What the fuck woman, just ring him and make sure he's okay." I picked up my mobile and called Edward.

"Mmmm what the fuck?" It sounded like he had answered without checking who was calling.

"You had better be in your office or a hotel and not in someone else's bed, because if you are I will slice your balls off, roast them and feed them to you." Heaven knows where those words came from but I was obviously angrier than I was letting on.

"Good morning to you to Isabella," he said, his tone changing. "I am in my office at the club, I assure you. Mainly because I would very much like to keep my balls where they are." He sounded half asleep but I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I know you can't tell me, but did you manage to sort out whatever was so important that you couldn't come home?" I was determined not to sound whiny and needy, I just needed to know he was okay.

"Angel, hearing your voice has made me realise I dealt with this all wrong. I'm coming home now and I will explain everything to you." No goodbye darling, just silence. I wasn't sure what to think. Before the call I was worried he was hurt and couldn't get home. He had better have a fucking excellent reason why he chose not to come home, or he would soon wish he hadn't this morning.

I got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast, Mrs B had left breakfast ready for us, so I grabbed some eggs and toast along with a mug of coffee and took a seat at the breakfast bar. I ate slowly, knowing the drive home for Edward, if he was at the club wouldn't take him too long. I was on my second mug of coffee when I heard the front door open.

He walked in and I almost gasped at the image in front of me. He had obviously had a lot to drink last night and slept in his clothes, his jacket was slung over in his arm, his tie dragging on the floor and his vest open. His white shirt was wrinkled and stained; it looked like he had sloshed liquor over himself more than once. He looked tired and unkempt, so unlike the Edward I was used to being with.

"Shit, you look rough," the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Why thank you, you on the other hand look amazing as ever."He leaned over to kiss me, he smelt of scotch, scotch, scotch and sweat. It was not unpleasant, but the sooner he got showered the better.

"Go and have a shower and I will warm you up some breakfast." I called out but he was already walking upstairs. He was only gone ten minutes before he was back beside me in another pair of dark grey dress pants and a white dress shirt. His shoes were as shiny as ever and matched the belt around his waist. You couldn't say this man wasn't put together well. He wore his clothes well and everything fitted perfectly. All I wanted was to see him in the pair of the jeans he had upstairs buried in his closet.

"Are you going straight back out?" I asked, I was hoping for at least a couple of hours before he disappeared off again.

"Yes later, but I need to talk to you about something I found out yesterday." He sat down and pulled the coffee mug towards him, taking a huge swallow. I could tell he had a lot on his mind and I waited for him to start talking.

Thirty minutes later I sat with my mouth open. Edward had finally finished telling me everything he could. I knew about Denali and his mother, His mother and Tanya and his mother's house in Mexico. Esme's reluctance to accept Rosie was closely followed by Denali's wife and what she knew about everything that was happening.

"Wow," I shook my head, struggling to take it all in, "no wonder your head was swimming last night. What I don't understand is why couldn't you have come home last night and told me all this then?"

I watched as he played with the handle of his coffee mug, he was struggling to form the word he needed to say. I hadn't seen him look like this before and I was stunned to see his reaction, his unease and confusion as I watched him try to tell me what was on his mind.

"I stayed at the office instead of coming home to protect you. I knew if I was here I would have taken it out on you. I didn't trust myself, I just didn't want to..." He never looked at me once; in fact he talked into his coffee mug.

"I don't know whether you have noticed or not but I am quite capable of looking after myself. I can handle everything you throw at me and more and then toss it back at you. Just so you know I'm seriously pissed off with you at this moment, I would have thought by now you understood I am stronger than you realise." When was he going to realise and start trusting me, us even? The man was supposed to trust his instincts.

His face dropped as he realised just how angry I was, my anger had risen quickly and I knew from personal experience that if I didn't calm myself down this could quite easily escalate into a full blown slanging match.

"I didn't mean to suggest you were ..." He stopped abruptly and I knew he was checking every word that left his mouth.

"I was concerned that when I got home I would have been too rough with you, I didn't want you to think I was trying to..." he stopped again and I was trying to decipher what he actually meant. Looking at his face I wasn't entirely sure he knew what was going on his head.

"I had this imagine of Tanya and my mother and I didn't want to come home to you because I knew I would want to fuck you and I didn't think that was right." His eyes never left my face as he watched me digest what he had just said.

I noticed his deliberate use of the term 'fuck you'. Lately he had started to call it making love, his pillow talk was softer and he hadn't really fucked me as such since the night in his office. I understood then what he was trying to tell me.

"Edward why would you think I wouldn't want you to fuck me? I love it when we get rough and you could never ever hurt me and believe me, if you did hurt me accidently I would soon let you know."

He just sat there with his mouth open, a look of total surprise on his face.

"Miss Swan you are incredible, I promise I will never underestimate you again." The smile on his face was glorious as he came towards me with his arms outstretched.

"I know you live in a world where you can't talk to many people but I promise you Jarvis and his crew could not do anything to make me talk about you. I'd go to jail sooner than put you in any harm." I settled against his chest, his arms wrapped firmly round me and I knew this was where I wanted to be forever.

"Marry me Isabella Swan, marry me now tonight. Let's get on a plane and go to Vegas, what do you say?"

"Yes to marrying you, Yes to now, Yes to getting on a plane for Vegas."

"So that is a definite yes then?"

I never got to answer that question, his lips hit mine and his tongue invaded my mouth.


	65. Chapter 65

TNMC

Chapter 62

BPOV

I'd just said yes! I'm not quite sure whether it was to the proposal, the plane ride to Vegas or getting married tonight but to be honest I really didn't give a shit. I'd happily do any of them tonight.

"Fucking hell, where's the ring?" Edward muttered, stepping back from our embrace. "I've had it for months and when I finally get you to say yes I haven't got it on me. Now where the fuck did I put it?" He was checking his pockets, patting down what was obviously an empty space as if it would mysteriously appear.

"Stay there," he shouted, "I'll be right back." He ran out of the kitchen. I picked up the dirty plates and put them by the sink. A flash of movement out of the corner of my eye reminded me of the CCTV and the fact that the on site team could be watching and listening. I wanted this to be private and the only rooms not covered were his office and our suite of rooms upstairs. I made the decision to find him and take the rest of this conversation somewhere else.

I made my way back to our suite to find him scrabbling through his underwear drawer, boxers and socks flying everywhere as he swept his hands along the bottom of the drawers.

"Think you moron. What did you do with it?" He slammed one drawer shut then opened the one underneath. "Have you put it in your safe?" I asked.

He looked up at me with a strange look on his face. "How do you know I have a safe?" I was trying to decide whether he was surprised or suspicious. "I don't know if you do have one," I said carefully, desperately wanting to preserve the joy of this moment, "but with the line of business you are in I would presume you would have some sort of strong room or safe."

"Shit of course," his brain changed tack, his body quickly following and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Wait here." With that he was gone again, pounding down the stairs. It made me smile, if you had said to me a few months ago Edward would be running up and downstairs like a teenager I would never have believed it.

"I have it Isabella, I have it" He rounded the door and came to a stop in front of me. I recognised the blue box instantly and knew he had been shopping at Tiffany's again. He slowly opened the box to reveal a beautiful three stone ring. I gasped, I couldn't help it. The thing was huge and so sparkly. I tried to form the right words but my lips didn't seem to be able to string the words together.

"You have already said yes, Isabella so take that look off your face. It's just a ring." He slid the heavy platinum band onto my finger.

The ring was a little big for my finger but nothing a small adjustment wouldn't fix. As I held my hand out in front of me, tilting it to the left and then the right to see it sparkling from every angle I couldn't help but notice the smug expression on his face. He was so proud of himself.

"So are we flying to Vegas tonight or in the morning?" He stood, rooted to the spot. If it wasn't for the fact that the dreamy expression was still firmly fixed in place I might have panicked he was changing his mind.

"We can't go tonight." He glanced at his watch." We have to consummate the engagement but we can go first thing in the morning if you like." He was deadly serious.

"Really Edward," I giggled, "I think you'll find it's the marriage we have to consummate, not the engage..." Before I could finish the sentence he swept me up in his strong arms and deposited me on the bed.

"I want you naked except for that ring," he said, fiercely, "but promise me you will never take it off, not ever." He supported himself on his arms so that he was hovering over me, his full length lying on my body. I opened my legs so he could settle between them and the position forced me to look him in the eye "Promise me Isabella," he said, fixing me with an intense gaze, "that you will never take that ring off."

"I promise"

The rest of the night was incredible, we made loved, we fucked, we made love again and in between all that we talked laughed and made plans to go to Vegas in the morning.

I woke up alone. Not a good start unless he was downstairs making me breakfast in bed. After a quick shower and slipping on some comfy clothes that didn't rub against my very sore lady bits I made my way downstairs. Mrs B already had coffee brewing, I could smell the wonderful nutty aroma I was becoming accustomed to. As I rounded the corner into the kitchen I was met by several huge bouquets of red roses.

"Whatever he did Bella I hope you can forgive him soon because I don't think you have any more vases in the house." Mrs B pushed a mug of coffee across the counter to me.

"Do you know where he is?" I hoped she had seen him before he'd gone. I was still holding out hope he was sorting out tickets to Vegas.

"The flowers started arriving about 7.30am, he had already left by then. He has left a note for you." She handed over a sealed envelope with Isabella on the front. I tried to recall if I'd seen his handwriting before but I couldn't recall. It was beautiful, the letters flowing smoothly across the page. I quickly ripped open the envelope and pulled out the thick cream stationary. It took me a few seconds to realise what I was reading then the anger kicked in.

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **The timing could not have been worse I know, but I've had to go out of the country. I promise you I will be back tomorrow and we will fly to Vegas then.**_

 _ **I love you**_

 _ **Edward**_

No apology, no idea where he is and why he's gone, shit I didn't think getting engaged would frighten him that much.

 **EPOV**

 **4AM**

I couldn't sleep. No matter how tired I was from the exertion of the past few hours all I wanted to do was look at the ring on her finger. I'd known instantly it was perfect for her. It was platinum with three diamonds sitting proud across the top of her finger. The middle diamond was fucking huge and if she had any idea I'd dropped seventy five grand on it she would throw a fit. As far as I was concerned she was worth very cent. What she didn't realise, and what I hoped we would never have to let her know, was that there was a tiny tracker under the diamond.

Isabella was fast asleep on her front, her face was turned towards me and I could see the concentration on her face, she was definitely dreaming about something. I stroked her back, gently. As I reached to kiss her hand my phone buzzed. I reached for it quickly so I wouldn't wake her.

"This had better be important," I whispered trying my best to be quiet. It was Jasper, why wasn't he asleep like normal people?

"Edward I wouldn't ring if it wasn't important." He paused, checking that he had my full attention.. "I've heard from our friends across the border and they really need to speak to you." "Do I need to deal with this?" I growled, as quietly as I could, "why can't you do it?" I really wanted to cuddle up to Isabella. I may not be seventeen anymore but I had another round in me and a quick stroke would have me on my way. I was imagining a creative way to wake her up when I was snapped out of my fantasy.

"Edward it's important," he said, the tone in his voice finally cutting through, "they wouldn't have contacted you if it wasn't necessary."

"Okay give me a minute." I cut the call and swung my legs out of bed. I had no idea where my clothes were so I walked into the bathroom to empty my bladder before grabbing some pyjama pants from the closet. I made my way downstairs and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. It was still dark out so I flicked on the under cabinet lights. I made myself as comfortable as I could on the cold hard bar stools and dialled Jasper back.

"Edward I have just heard from them and they wouldn't give me any details, they need to speak to you direct. I'm not too sure I'm happy about that. Do you think they could be trying to set you up, that someone could be listening in?"

"You are being paranoid Jasper, they run the biggest drug and crime cartel south of the border, what sort of deal could they do to frame me?" His warning had sunk in though and I was on my guard as I rang the phone number I'd contacted for many years when I needed help with something. He answered within a few rings, the heavily accented voice just as I remembered. I'd grown up hearing stories about him. He was my father's friend. They had formed an alliance while at college and it was still as strong but for obvious reasons they couldn't be seen in public very often.

"It's me."

"My contractors went to the property tonight to have a good look round," began the voice. Even with the best security it paid to keep communication brief and anonymous. "You know, to get the lay out, set a few explosive charges. When they went into the cellar under the house they found something they really weren't expecting."

"Don't stop there what the fuck did they find?" I almost shouted at him.

"I can't discuss it over the phone. Let's just say they stopped the job and called me, now I need you to come down here and see for yourself. You need to be on the first flight down here." I knew he wouldn't have put me in this position if it wasn't important. My stomach tightened. What the fuck had he found that was so bad that I had to go immediately?

I sent Jasper a text telling him to be ready to leave in thirty minutes and that we were flying to see some friends. He would understand what that meant without actually mentioning where we were going. My next call was to Alex to arrange the private jet to pick us up at the small private airfield we always used. We would be fine over the border because our friends had complete control over who was allowed to land at the private air strip we were being met at.

Jasper strode out of the house as soon as we pulled up, dressed like he was off to a day in the office, carrying his ever present laptop bag and briefcase. He also had a paper bag in his hand which smelt incredible. "Alice sent breakfast," he said, pushing the bag towards me. Inside were two bagels smothered in cream cheese and bacon and tomato. I hadn't realised how hungry I was, my night had been extremely physical. I devoured mine in about four bites. I realised once more just how much I needed Isabella as my wife. I couldn't let her in on this yet so instead of her seeing me off with hugs and food like Alice had she was lying in bed, asleep, a hastily penned note her only explanation for my sudden absence.

"I need coffee," Jasper pointed to an all night coffee shop on the corner. We pulled up and he went in to get coffee while I went to the shop next door. The florist wasn't open but she was taking in a flower delivery. We had an account and once she recognised the name she couldn't do enough. I ordered a bouquet for my sister and then asked the florist to send every rose she had to Isabella over the course of the day. It cost me several thousand dollars but if it left my dick and balls intact and I was able to use them again before my fortieth birthday it was a small price to pay.

Several hours later we stood on the tarmac of a small discreet airstrip. It was daylight now but the chill breeze of night time cut through the heat. The air was fragrant and moist. A huge SUV with blacked out windows and bullet proof glass was waiting. We got in and were driven straight to my mother's property. My friend and his entourage had obviously made themselves at home while they had been waiting for me. The house smelt warm and lived in, the smells coming from the kitchen enticing. He sat at the head of the kitchen table, waiting.

"We decided to wait here for you in case someone came back to collect what we found." He got to his feet and shook my hand. "I wanted you to see it here because you could not comprehend by just hearing about it over the phone." His English was formal, the heavily accented words somehow more menacing than any of the guttural threats I had heard him utter in his own language.

I followed him through the property. I was amazed at just how ready it was for my mother. I'd expected the rooms would have the basic furniture in place, probably draped with dust sheets, waiting for her to come and make the place hers when she was ready. What struck me was that everything was already in place. There was artwork on the walls, photos in frames on shelves, her favourite books were all here and I even recognised some pieces from my own home as well as my childhood home. This place was ready to move into this very second.

I nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. We walked through the state of the art kitchen and into a small room. The shelving was empty, a strange difference from the rest of the house but as soon as someone reached out and pressed on the wall it sprang open. Like some fucking cliché Jason Bourne film a set of steps were revealed leading down into the ground. Now if I'd been with anyone else I have already be shooting by now, but I calmly looked back at Seth and Alex and nodded so they knew I was okay. I followed down the stairs and as soon as the lights went on I could see what all the fuss was about.

The nearest crate to me had been opened. On a base of packing peanuts sat a number of what I immediately recognised as semi automatic rifles. They all looked brand new and casting my eye around the basement room I guessed that there had to be at around one hundred and fifty crates.

"Who the fuck do these belong to?" I asked as I looked round the spacious basement, the thought crossed my mind that this was custom built. It was a perfect hideaway.

"We were hoping you could tell us." He stood relaxed but the demeanour of his men had changed, one had visibly moved his hand to the butt of his gun. I glanced at the exit out of the corner of my eye, keeping my face deliberately blank. Shadows in the stairwell indicated that our exit route was blocked. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry.

I wondered if you were using it as storage on my side of the border." There was no mistaking the concern in his voice. The last thing I needed was a problem with these people, I might be thousands of miles away in Chicago, but some of my more illegal businesses got there supplies through these people.

"I can assure you this is nothing to do with me, I've only known about this place for a couple of weeks at most, and I really wouldn't have arranged for you blow the place sky high if I had goods stored here would I?"

"So my friend what do we do now, these must belong to someone?" He was still studying me, not quite sure.

"I really don't care what you do with them, you can store them and try and sort out who put them here or you can blow them up with the house," I shrugged my shoulders. "As you said it's your side of the border so you should know who is buying this sort of merchandise." I really didn't give a shit, I just wanted to get back on the jet and go home to Isabella.

"How would you feel about me getting Mrs Cullen down here and asking her myself?" I could see he was testing me, trying to figure out if I was lying or stalling him.

"That is an excellent idea, in fact...?" I took him to one side and explained what I wanted him to do for me.

"I need to speak to Carlisle before I do that," he said, stiffly, "She is still his wife."

"No I'm the head of the business and the family now, Carlisle will abide by whatever I say." I was pissed he was challenging me but I held my nerve, we were outnumbered, no matter how good a shot Seth was.

"I understand that my friend but she is still his wife. I would hope you would afford me the same chance if someone asked you to do that to anyone in my family."

I nodded and walked back to Seth, Alex and Jasper who were stood to one side looking at the markings on the crates.

"Are these ours by any chance?" I asked Alex.

"No Boss nothing to do with us, I would have informed you if we had lost any. These are from a military base, whoever got these must have had some sort of military connection." He was scanning the markings on the side and running them through some sort of database.

"It could be a payment to Denali from the CIA or the Feds?" Jasper chipped in as he looked at the screen Alex showed him.

"I don't know whether he knew about this place or not." I was trying to listen to the conversation that was happening a few metres from me. I'd heard my father's name and the friendly greeting that turned serious as he explained what I'd asked him to do. The conversation carried on and we all stood around trying not to touch the crates or the goods insides, you never know when one stray fingerprint can get you into trouble.

"Okay my friend I will tell him." I wanted to say I told you so but that was dangerous, I was dealing with people who would cut your throat without needing too much justification.

With that he turned back to me smiling, "I am sorry, please do not be annoyed I had to check but we are good to go, I will do as you ask." He offered me his hand to shake and I returned the gesture.

Once we were back upstairs I took one final look round. This really was a beautiful property and I could see Isabella and myself having something similar as a holiday home. The thought of having somewhere warm to fly to where we could relax and she could spend all day in tiny bikinis made my dick stir. I quickly shut down the thought, last thing I needed was a trouser tent in a room full of men.

"Okay I need to get back"

Within thirty five minutes we were back at the landing strip and the pilot was completing his pre flight checks. I was nervous, not about what was happening around me, I was worried about Isabella and how long it would take her to forgive me for disappearing on her.


	66. Chapter 66

TNMC

Chapter 63

BPOV

I was at a loss today. I couldn't settle. I couldn't really concentrate on anything. It was mid afternoon and I still hadn't heard from him. I tried to pull together the tax return for my business but the figures weren't adding up. I looked for new properties but my heart wasn't in it. I tried to make some decision on the dining room, but all I could picture was blood red paint, the bloody angry colour of how I felt about him disappearing on me. I couldn't even go and indulge in some retail therapy because Seth was also missing. Part of me knew that if Seth wasn't about he'd gone with Edward and I was glad he had some company and protection, but I was still pissed he'd taken my driver. Why couldn't Embry have gone with him? I sounded whiny even to myself. I thought about calling Alice but I didn't want to put her in an awkward position, especially if Jasper had gone too. The next best thing was to see if she could fit me in at the salon. I needed to be pampered. I needed to calm down before I finally laid eyes on him.

The calm lasted the length of the drive home. Alice had stayed notably absent but the assistant manager had greeted me like an old friend and shuffled around the appointment book. I'd had a pedicure manicure, massage and facial. I was feeling beautiful and if the big bad mob boss ever got back from where he had rushed off to I was ready at least to get married at the drop of a hat. As we pulled through the gates and up to the front door I was amazed to see it was wide open. Usually it was locked tight and I needed an access code or my thumb print to get in. Edward! I jumped out of the car and rushed into the hallway as fast as my salon towelling slippers would let me. I stopped in my tracks, adrenaline running through my body as a high pitched scream split the air

"What the fuck has that slut done to my home? My lovely drapes! The wall paper!"

I heard her as she took in her surroundings. She let out a stifled gasp.

"My replica Louis XVI chandelier! Oh my god, that little tramp has ripped the heart out of my beautiful home."

I dropped my purse on the floor by the door and looked up at the security camera. How the fuck had Tanya got in here? My first concern was Mrs B. I slipped in to the kitchen but there was no sign of her. I looked up and gestured silently to the camera. Edward didn't pay those guys to watch his ex-wife strut around the house like she still owned it. Mrs B walked in the back door with a basket of laundry. "I'm sorry Bella I didn't know you were back," she put the laundry in front of me. "I was just bringing in the laundry from outside.".

"Is the dryer broken?" She laughed and shook her head as if I'd asked the strangest question ever.

"It's an English thing," she said, lifting a sheet to her nose and inhaling like the glossy moms in the laundry commercials. "I just think the sheets smell so much nicer when they have had some sunshine on then."

Before I could ask her what she was meant we were both startled by the sound of breaking glass.

"What the hell…?" In a flash Mrs B hit a button on the wall I'd never even noticed before and went running towards the sound. I followed and came to an abrupt halt behind her as we came face to face with Tanya in full flow, throwing what appeared to be her third vase full of Roses on to the floor. She was quite a sight to behold, decked out head to toe in designer labels, teetering in four inch stilettos, a purse slung carelessly on the floor that was worth more than my first car.

"Don't you fucking dare!" I shot forward to save the crystal vase she was about to throw to the floor but then I realised it was probably one of hers anyway.

"Don't you tell me what I can do in my own home…" she fixed me with a glare and deliberately let the vase slip through her hands. It crashed to the floor. I watched as the crystal shattered and the water spread across the polished hard wood floor, mingling with the contents of the other broken vases to make a puddle. The long stemmed roses were slower; they seemed to float in mid air before gracefully before sinking to the floor. The shattered crystal sparkled in the water as the sun light from the still open front door streamed into the hallway, the illusion of the rose covered sparkly floor was quite something. I managed to move the nearest vase to me out of her way but the light caught my engagement ring sending light beams dancing up the wall behind me. There was no mistaking the sound when she realised what she was seeing.

"So it is fucking true," she snarled. "Esme was right, he has put a ring on your finger. What the hell is he doing proposing to somebody like you?" She drew a great, shuddering breath before continuing, her voice getting higher and higher.

"He needs someone who understands his world, someone who can rule the city with him. How the hell can you do that when you wear that incredibly expensive Tiffany ring with sweat pants and slippers?" There was no mistaking the venom and disgust in her voice, whether it was at me or my choice of clothes I wasn't too sure and I really didn't give a shit. I pulled myself a little taller.

I really didn't have to defend myself to her or anyone, she was in my home, pouring my roses all over the floor and insulting me.

I looked around; there was still had no sign of any security detail so it looked like Mrs B and I were ejecting her. Even my driver seemed to have disappeared.

"Enough!" Mrs B shouted in her very proper English accent. The sound was enough to snap Tanya out of her rage and make her focus on us. I stepped up, now I was pissed. Rightly or wrongly I took all my anger at Edward and directed it at Tanya. "Get out of my home now before I call the police." I said in what I hoped was a calm but authoritative manner.

"You see," she laughed, a few puppies away from the full Cruella de Vil, "that just proves you are not fit to be his wife. If you call the police they will crawl all over the place and before you know it your precious Edward will be doing twenty years." The satisfaction on her face was even more annoying than the sopping feeling between my toes, the soft cotton towelling slippers were acting as sponges as they soaked up the water from the floor. "You're so fucking naïve." She took a step forward, obviously planning on a dramatic exit, but her high heels had no grip on the wooden floor and she teetered for a moment.

"I don't need to prove to anyone, especially you, whether I'm fit to be his wife. When I shoot you because you are an intruder that has broken into my home they will have more than enough going on to worry about planting evidence." She wasn't getting the better of me. I could match this woman in everything she threw at me.

I reached into the drawer of the little table that stood in the foyer. Edward had already told me there was a loaded gun taped to the top of the drawer for emergencies. As I pulled it free I checked the safety was off and that it was loaded. My Dad had taught me many years ago how to handle guns. I'm a cop's daughter. I pointed it at her watched the dynamic change.

"You wouldn't dare," she half laughed. Without hesitation I fired just above her head. The bullet lodged in the freshly finished plaster work. It was worth it to see the finish spoiled when the smile literally fell from her face.

"Of course I fucking dare," I was deadly calm now. In that moment I knew that I was capable of shooting her.

"Now get the fuck out of my house because the next one will hit you straight between the eyes." I aimed the gun directly at her and stood perfectly still. My insides may have been churning like an old fashioned butter churn but I was determined I wasn't going to show her that. She looked over my shoulder at someone but I wasn't prepared to look round.

"You have until my count of three to get out or I promise you I will shoot you."

She looked down at the floor to her left and started to move towards the doorway of the dining room. I wanted her out not cornered in the room.

"I'm just getting my purse," she informed me as though she was just leaving for lunch or something. She bent down to reach for it and I made sure I followed her movement, my finger on the trigger in case she had a gun in her bag.

"Mss Swan I'll take it from here." A voice I didn't recognise.

I turned to my left, my back to the wall to see who was talking. I recognised Embry but I had no idea who the guy with him was. Seeing my confusion Tanya ran past me into his arms. "Oh Michael," she trilled, "I'm so happy to see a friendly face, this woman is trying to kill me, call the police and have her arrested please."

The change in her was incredible, she went from nasty bitch to crazy bitch and finished up with flirty bitch. Her hands were on the guy's chest as she looked up at him from under her eyelashes.

"Embry get this woman out of my house now," I grabbed his arm as he went past and spoke quietly into his ear, "then I want a full explanation before Edward gets back on how she got in here. I'm not stupid, the front door was open and there was no car parked outside so someone has let her in, not only through the front gate but also the front door. I knew the code had been changed before I even moved in never mind at least twice since I'd been living here. There was no way she could know the codes unless someone had told her or knew she was coming."

"Yes Ma'am," he smirked as he went to take her out of Michael's arms and escort her off the property. I didn't miss the fact that Michael, whoever he was really didn't want to let her go, I think we had our suspect.

"Bella, get out of those slippers and check your feet while I clean this mess up." Mrs B was already in clean up mode as she produced a mop, dust pan and brush from somewhere. I carefully placed the gun back on the table as soon as the front door slammed shut and I was sure she was on the other side. I wiped the gun down with the cloth that was in the drawer, made sure the safety was back on and left it for someone else to deal with. I knew now it had been fired it would probably have to be destroyed. I looked down at the floor and carefully stepped over the shattered crystal, losing the now totally waterlogged slippers. Somehow I made it onto the bottom step of the staircase without stepping on any shards. I looked over at the hallway and Michael was still looking at the closed door. Mrs B was busy mopping and half my roses were all over the floor. I hoped Edward was having a better day than I was as I made my way upstairs.

EPOV

It was late. We had left at 5.00am if everything went my way I would be back at home around 9.00 pm so technically it was still the same day. If I managed that I had a chance of being in the good books because I'd said I wouldn't be home until tomorrow in my note. I relaxed into the luxurious seat and thanked my lucky stars we weren't travelling on a commercial airline. I loosened my tie and attracted the attention of Sophie the full time hostess. Without being asked she poured me a scotch. "Can I get you something to eat Sir?" We hadn't eaten all day so I asked her to prepare whatever she had to hand for us. Just as I took my first bite of a medium rare burger with all the trimmings both Seth and Alex's phones started to ring. We all looked at each other. Emmett was watching over everything at home and he was calling Alex. Embry was calling Seth.

"Well fucking answer them then." I threw the barely touched food back onto the plate. My stomach rolled and I knew this was going to mean trouble, something bad had happened. My first thought was my dad that someone picked up the hit I thought we had cancelled. My next thought was Isabella. I tried to glean what was happening from listening to the one sided conversations. It was only when I heard Alex say 'she' I knew it was Isabella. It took everything in me not to snatch the phone away from him. I tried to stay calm but in the end I couldn't wait for him to finish the conversation he was listening to. I dialled her number and prayed she would answer. When she did all I could do was exhale in to the receiver, my words just wouldn't come out.

"Fucking finally!" she yelled. "So nice to know no one has chopped you and left you in ditch, but then again you haven't said anything yet so it might not be you." Her voice lowered, suspicious. "I can hear you breathing, so if is it you where the fucking hell are you, if it isn't you and it's some dirty pervert who has your phone, you won't be able to turn me on by heavy breathing. If you are whacking off to the sound of my voice I warn you I'm about to burst your ear drum."

I couldn't help but laugh, she had such a way with words when she was pissed off I let her finish her monologue and waited. She finally stopped talking long enough for me to get some words out. "I'm on way home so pack a bag. We are going to Vegas."


	67. Chapter 67

TNMC

Chapter 64

So Edward is on the jet on the way back unaware of what has happened at home with Tanya.

BPOV

"Like fuck are we going to Vegas tonight," I yelled. "I have to help Mrs B clear up and you need to get your so called crack security team round here to find out how your crazy bitch of an ex-wife got into our home and smashed up several vases." I shook the shards of glass in the dustpan.

"Isabella, was Tanya in the house today?" I could hear the change in his voice as he digested my verbal assault on him. Instantly Mr big bad mob boss was present.

"Wow well deduced Sherlock, how do you usually find out what's happening in your world?" I knew I sounded snarky but surely someone had informed him.

"Well at this moment Alex and Seth are both on their phones and I would say from the looks on their faces they are being told what you have just told me." A shiver ran down my spine as the tone in his voice deepened.

I was surprised that Alex was included in the hierarchy I thought he was just the computer man. I really knew so little about his organisation, Jarvis was so far off the mark when he thought I could tell him anything.

"Embry was here with me," I began. I didn't want him or me to get into trouble. "I went out to the salon and he drove me. She was here when we came back. Someone must have let her in, she was screaming in the dining room, having a meltdown about the wallpaper or something."

"How the fuck did she even get through the gate, all the codes have been changed?" I think he was talking aloud because that was a question I couldn't answer for him.

"The front door was wide open." I informed him before asking the question I was really concerned about.

"Who is Michael?" I was still concerned about his reaction and I hadn't ever seen him before if he told me he was a newbie we had a problem because Tanya very obviously knew him and was very familiar with him.

"Michael?" I could hear the surprise in his voice."He has been with me on the house team since I moved in why?" I had no idea where he was but I could still read his mood, he was getting ready to lose it.

"Tanya must have known him years then." I was really thinking out loud trying to answer the questions I had going round in my head. "That explains it."

"Explains what Isabella?" his demanding voice sent shivers through my body that came together and gathered between my legs. I tried to hold in the groan it caused as the mini electric currents seem to dance between my lower lips. I couldn't answer him immediately; I was too bust pressing my thighs together to get some kind of relief.

"Isabella, where the fuck have you gone, talk to me?" another set of tingles surged through me before I managed to get a grip of myself.

"Sorry, err what were you asking? Michael? Well, Tanya threw herself into his arms and asked him to have me arrested before Embry escorted her off the premises. Michael seemed to be really awe struck; he just sort of stood there drooling." I really didn't need the image of his ex wife in the arms of one of the security team in my head but he needed to know.

I could hear Edward shouting instructions at someone, I heard the name Michael and then suddenly Edward told me to wait a moment. I presumed he had taken another call but I could I hear him shouting and swearing still. I couldn't make out if it was at the guys with him or if he was on the phone but either way someone was getting a real ear bashing. Suddenly he was back on the line with me.

"I will be home shortly," he replied in clipped tones, after a few moments of silence. "I'm assured the house is now in lock down and no one can get in or out and it will stay like that until I'm completely convinced your safe and I know what the fuck happened there this evening." The voice was back and I was so tempted to ask him to use that voice in bed with me...until what he had said registered with me.

"What do you mean lock down? Have you locked me in?" "Why have you have locked me in, what the fuck have you done that for?""I'm not six years old you know, I can look at myself, fuck I very nearly shot her today. I wish now that I had." This was getting way out of control, a few hours ago I was going off to Vegas to get married, now I can't step outside the house.

"Isabella, please don't be awkward, I will be home soon and we will sort this entire mess out."

With the phone went dead. I was left standing in the empty dining room fuming.

EPOV – Still on the jet flying home.

"Make sure you speak to him away from the house," I barked at Emmett. "I don't care where you take him but I don't want Isabella to see or hear you talk to him." I wanted Michael questioned straight away.

"I've already had him picked up, he's on his way to me here at the warehouse." I frowned in response. I was pleased by his actions but for him to know about Michael already meant that it wasn't only Isabella who had noticed the inappropriate relationship between them. "I'm going to have a little talk with him about how long Tanya has been playing him."

"What makes you think she's been playing him?" I was curious to see what he thought and to see what Tanya had been up to.

"She's been leading him round by the dick for years so it's not a big jump to think if she called him and asked him to open the gate, or let her know when no one was home. Well you get the idea..." I could hear the disgust in his voice, it was so unlike Emmett to be affected by anything like this.

"Why didn't…? I stopped short.

"She flirted with everyone the guys generally just humoured her. I guess that Michael got sucked in."

"Make sure she doesn't get anywhere near the house again, have the codes changed on the house and the gates, also make sure you do an extensive search for any unwanted technology left behind."

"Sorted" was all he said before hanging up.

I sat back and closed my eyes. It was one thing after another at the moment and all I wanted to do was fly to Vegas and get married. I tried to block the noise of the aircraft and the conversations around me out but I couldn't rest, I needed to pace but I had limited space. My cell phone rang and I answered it thinking it was probably Isabella.

"Hello my friend I just wanted to let you know the housekeeper has made the call to Mrs Cullen; she informed her there was a problem with the swimming pool resulting in some flooding in the cellar. Your mother will be on her way when she can get on a flight; apparently the company jet she usually uses is busy at the moment." His laugh was dark and hard before he continued "You can expect completion within thirty six hours."

The line went dead and for a split second I almost called him back to cancel everything but I fought my conscience and won. I debated telling Jasper about the call but I was undecided, at present the only people who knew the whole plan were myself and my friend over the border, if anything went wrong I wouldn't have far too look.

A strange calm settle over me as I realised if everything went to plan one of my biggest problems would no longer exist. A smile must have settled across my face because both Alex and Jasper stopped talking and looked at me.

"Everything okay Boss?" Alex asked for once his attention not fully on whatever screen was in front of him.

"Fine, now while we have some time to kill let's make arrangements for this lunch, I want the date bringing forward, it needs to happen as soon as possible." I took a swallow of the ever present glass of 10year old Macallan Whisky and relaxed back into the soft leather of the seat. Plans were in place now we just had to sit back and let them unfold.

"How soon can this plane be refuelled and be ready to fly to Vegas?" I asked the hostess the next time she wandered through to check on dinks and clear away the food I never got to finish.

She was back within minutes, "The pilot has flying hours available, he can refuel at the airfield and be ready to go within the hour Mr Cullen" that was what I needed to hear, now I just had to get Isabella on the plane.

"Jasper this is what needs to happen, I will fly to Vegas tonight with Isabella so we can get married, we will stay overnight and then fly back. When we get back I want the lunch in three days time so I can introduce her as my wife as well as introducing Emmett's new wife. Make sure there are empty spaces at the table where my mother and Denali would be expected."

"So you are not expecting your Mother to show? I thought she had agreed to host the lunch?" I could see the confusion on Jasper's face but he had no idea what I had already arranged, my mother's fate was sealed.

"She won't be there I'm afraid, there will be an emergency at her property and she will have to fly to Mexico. I will have the jet with me in Vegas so she will have to fly on a commercial airliner, that way she can be tracked leaving the country." I had it all figured out in my mind and I had already made peace with myself, it was easy really because she had made herself my enemy.

"Why do we need to be able to prove she was out of the country?" For once Jasper wasn't engrossed in his technological world he was looking directly at me and I could tell he was trying to gauge my mood. This was a good sign, he needed to be able to interpret my moods and be one step ahead of me sometimes.

"Oh fuck she's going to meet with an accident at the property and ..." he was still trying to read my face. "Have you arranged for her to be caught with the guns or..."

I could tell the second he realised what I had planned, the signs were all there if he had paid attention the way he should have done in the house.

"I'll make sure everything is in order." He said quietly and with that he slumped back into the seat and closed his eyes. I could understand this would be hard for him, for the first time he had prior knowledge something big was going to happen. Not only big in the eyes of the outside world, but something that would directly affect his wife. I knew Alice was okay with what was going to happen, we had discussed it but it was still new to him.

"Just be ready for afterwards, you don't have to do anything now it would look suspicious, you have already made sure everything is back in the Cullen name haven't you?"

He took a huge breath, calming himself and then nodded, "Yes I'm happy everything is in order."

That closed the discussion; I just needed to get Isabella on the plane now.

BPOV

I needed to take my resurfacing anger out on something, I knew it was probably for my own protection but lockdown was that really necessary? I was quite capable of looking after myself and my greatest urge at the moment was to hit something. Tanya's face was my first thought, quickly followed by Jarvis and then Edward. Seeing as none of them were within easy reach I went in search of Ice cream. I found Mrs B in the kitchen and I made sure she was okay, but she brushed me off laughing telling me not to worry about her. Apparently she had worked for several high profile young ladies in her time and most of them were 'spoilt little shits' as she called them. I went to grab the ice cream from the freezer but Mrs B put a huge mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles down on the counter top at the side me.

"I thought you might need a little comfort treat, I know I do when I'm angry." It was then I noticed a packet of cookies on the side with a cup of tea. I didn't recognise the brand so I picked them up. "They are English, I have them sent over especially" she said as she took them out of my hand and back on the counter. Just as I was about to ask what was so special about them a cell phone started to ring. I knew it wasn't mine because mine was on the table in the foyer where I'd thrown it after speaking to Edward earlier.

"Yes Mr Cullen. " I shouldn't have been surprised that she had a phone or that Edward spoke to her directly but it did. I waited and watched her face as she listened to him no doubt issuing a string of instructions. She nodded, never actually speaking to him and I wondered if she realised he couldn't see her.

"Okay no problem I will have everything ready."

With that she ended the call and picked up her tea cup.

"What will you get ready?" The suspense was killing me I needed to know.

"Mr Cullen has asked me to pack him an overnight bag, he needs a nice suit, and toiletries and a change of clothes, and someone will be here to pick it up and you in a couple of hours. Apparently you are off to Vegas to get married tonight."

Before I could answer her she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug. I reacted automatically hugging her back, and then I came to my senses.

"What the fuck, how can we get married tonight, I haven't got anything to wear."

Mrs B laughed and grabbed me by the hand and walked us upstairs, she keyed in the code on our suite of rooms and sat me down on the edge on the bed. While I sat there watching she went to work packing for us, she came out of the closet with two of Edwards suits, one in each hand and just gestured for me to pick one. She did the same with his shirts, ties and shoes, carefully laying everything on the bed so I could see the outfit I was creating. She pulled out a toiletries bag that was full of everything he needed and then stopped and looked at me "Do you want to gather his underwear together and casual clothes while I find his suit carrier and overnight case?"

That snapped me back into the room and I obediently went rooting in his closet, I knew what I was after, the 501's I'd seen in there when I first had a good look round. I grabbed them as well as a couple of nice t shirts and a pair of converse that looked brand new. I also found a leather jacket hanging on the far end of the rail.

"Lovely, now let's get your things together." Mrs B said as she went to my closet. I quickly followed and just grabbed some nice underwear, a clean pair of jeans and a few bits.

"There must be a bridal shop close by where we are staying, I'll pick up a simple dress when I get there." She nodded and went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

"You get yourself ready, I will pack these up and then make you something light to eat to keep you going, by the time you're ready someone will be here to get you." With that she pushed me into the bathroom and closed the door.

I took my time, I'd already been to the salon so I just needed to freshen up. Once I was dry I selected a comfy pair of black jeans and a beautiful jade green soft cashmere sweater top that slipped off one shoulder. I felt sexy in it because I couldn't wear a bra with it but wasn't overly revealing. The only problem was the cashmere rubbed against my nipples causing them to harden. I had some nipple guards somewhere that I used to combat that I needed to find them. Pulling on some knee high black boots I took a look in the full length mirror, I felt good, the colour of the sweater went lovely against my brown hair, my make up was natural and my hair gleaming from the treatment I'd had on it today. I was happy with my appearance so I turned to finish my packing but the bags had gone so I picked up my makeup and a big purse from the closet and went downstairs to wait.

Its funny how quickly my mood changed, I know, a women's prerogative and all that but I loved him and I wanted to marry him. I'm slowly realising I'm the one that needs to change and adapt to a whole new lifestyle and the dangers and restrictions that come with that. Edward lives that life already he just has to adapt to including me into it.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sorry I'm a little late with this one but hopefully it is worth the wait. Thank you to LL for all her hard work. She works wonders for me xx

I also want to thank each and every one of you who takes the time to review, I read them all, good and bad and they have given me ideas and made me look at these two characters differently at times when I see them through your eyes instead of the picture I have. We should hopefully pass 5000 reviews with this chapter and I am so proud and so very grateful.

I'm putting the finishing touches to my contribution to my Babies at the Border Fiction compilation , the total you have all raised so far is amazing so thank you so much.


	68. Chapter 68

TNMC Chapter 65

I know Ms Meyer owns all things Twilight, I'm just playing with the characters.

The POV's swap between Edward and Bella so watch for the changes.

BPOV

Embry wandered into the kitchen about twenty minutes later with a set of keys in his hand. "Are you ready Bella?" At my nod he started to collect the bags that Mrs B had kindly packed and left by the front door. I grabbed my purse, said goodbye to Mrs B and made my way out to the Range Rover.

The drive didn't take long. I spent most of it fretting rather than taking in the scenery. Soon we came to a stop at the bottom of a gleaming metal set of steps. My eyes followed the handrail to a small but gleaming jet plane, liveried in pearlescent white and navy blue. I don't think it had ever occurred to me until this moment quite how rich Edward was. I looked up towards the open cabin door hoping for a glimpse of the bronze hair I loved. For a fleeting second I wondered if Edward was really on the Jet. Maybe this was another trick by Jarvis or even Tanya to get me away from him? I looked at Embry and asked him straight out. "Is Edward definitely on board?" I studied his face hoping for any indication of what was happening but his face broke into a huge smile. "Go get married Bella."

I walked up the steps. They wobbled a little and I gripped the handrail as I ascended.. I have to be honest, I felt a bit like a film star. All it needed was a small red carpet and I would have been transported to another world. The sound of female laughter cut into my fantasy. My hackles were up instantly, but I realised that the voices were friendly so I took a deep breath and stepped into the cabin.

"Finally!" she squealed. "Can we get going now?" Alice sat beside Jasper, dressed casually in sweats and sneakers, her face was free from makeup. She looked comfortable and I knew immediately I'd made an error with the knee high boots. Before she'd even finished talking Edward had me in his arms. He pulled my body towards him so we were touching at every point. "I've missed you Isabella. I'm so sorry I had to leave early this morning, it was unavoidable. Just think in a few hours I will be able to tell you exactly where I'm going and why."

His kiss was full on and demanding. I felt my knees buckle as the emotions swarmed around my system. One hand was gripping the back of my head the other firmly attached to my ass cheek. He was desperately trying to pull me closer to him. The catcalls from inside the cabin finally broke us apart.

Edward laughed and walked me backwards towards two large cream leather chairs. This didn't look like any aeroplane I'd ever been on before. I couldn't help but stare at the interior, all cream leather seats and deep blue carpets. The wood was a really warm cherry colour and the cabin walls a pale periwinkle shade of blue.

"We're ready when you are." The sound of Edward talking snapped my attention back into the cabin. It was then I noticed Alex and Seth were also in the jet with us. A voice over the intercom informed us that we had been cleared for takeoff and the flight time would be approx three and a half hours. Edward held my hand as the aircraft taxied down the airstrip. "Nothing is going to stop me marrying you. " He whispered as he kissed just below my ear.

As soon as the pilot informed us we could undo our seat belts Alice got up and opened a bottle of Champagne. She poured six glasses and passed them round.

"I would like to propose a toast," she beamed smiling at me her glass raised and then she turned to Edward, "to my brother for finally managing to capture a beautiful, strong woman to be his wife. You really do deserve her and everything you have coming from her over the next forty or so years." She turned back toward me, "and to Bella, my future sister in law. I hope you know what you are letting yourself in for." Her face was warm and open, she obviously loved Edward and I could see she was happy we were going to be married. It made me warm and fuzzy to see I really was being accepted.

"Here here!" shouted Alex as Seth let out a long high pitched whistle.

"Alice I would respond in kind but unfortunately everything you said was correct so all I can do is agree with you." Edward raised his glass in salute.

The rest of the journey passed calmly. Jasper and Alex's cell phones rang continually and when the discussion was private they walked to the back of the cabin to take the call. It didn't take me long to work out how the hierarchy worked. When Alex's phone rang Jasper watched his face to gauge whether he needed to be worried or not. A small nod or shake from Alex put Jasper at ease or sent him into a flurry of typing on his ever present Laptop. When Jasper's phone rang it was Edward's turn to look worried. Thankfully Edward's phone didn't ring so I was able to sit back and chat with Alice and Seth. Edward worked with Jasper on and off so the time passed quickly.

"Isabella do you know you have been taunting me for the whole flight?" He had pulled me down onto his lap and was whispering into my ear. I turned to sit across his lap and couldn't help but notice the hardness nestling between us. My handsome man was turned on and feeling sexy.

"Why have I been taunting you? I've just been sat here chatting." I made sure to wriggle just enough, it never hurt to keep him on his toes.

"Your beautiful smooth skin peeping out from under your hair, those boots and the very delicious sight of your prominent nipples on display. I am having difficulty controlling myself."

I could feel his hand snaking under the back of my jumper and stroking my bare skin. "No bra Miss Swan, how very alluring of you." His nails scraped down my spine leaving a trail of goose bumps.

"It's such a shame we have company Isabella, I have never seen the attraction of the Mile High Club until this second. Maybe I should make sure we travel home alone." I could see the lust in his eyes as his fingertips moved to trace the waistband of my jeans. In that moment I really wasn't bothered if we had an audience or not, images of the night before flooded my brain.

He had positioned me so I was bent double, stood holding my own ankles, Edward behind me holding my hips to steady me. He had been brutal, pounding into me. I had to push back against him to stay upright, causing him to go deeper than ever before. The sensation was incredible and my orgasm long and hard. How he managed to last that long was beyond me. He'd come a long way from the early days when he barely managed a few minutes.

"Maybe we could do what most couples do and just use the bathroom; I can be quiet if you can." I teased back.

He turned at glanced at the door that led to bathroom and then the guys sitting just behind us. For someone who usually had a practiced poker face I could see every thought that went through his mind. I let out a quiet sigh as his face registered it was not going to happen.

"Never mind sweetheart I'll be your wife on the way back, it won't matter what anyone thinks then." I whispered as he groaned and pushed his still solid length into my thighs.

"Mine, you will be mine." He replied as he nipped my earlobe.

"Ladies and Gentlemen if you could return to your seats please we will be landing at McCarran in ten minutes. Ground transport is waiting for you at the hanger." I couldn't help but give a wiggle and clap my hands. I was excited, it was my first time in Vegas and I was getting married.

"Isabella please sit still!" Edward clamped me against his lap to stop the friction I was causing.

"Sorry sweetheart." I laughed as he released me to let me sit back down in my own seat.

"Has anyone booked accommodation and the wedding chapel?" Alice asked as we all settled down waiting to land.

Edward looked at Seth who in turn looked at Alex. I had a bad feeling no one had thought further than just flying to Vegas. Finally Jasper spoke up

"We are all booked in at the Bellagio..Edward and Bella have the Presidential suite for two nights and I have pre booked the Grand Patio for the wedding ceremony. All you need to do is talk to the wedding coordinator early tomorrow and she will get everything arranged for your wedding tomorrow evening."

We all looked at him as if he had just spoken in a foreign language before Alice broke the stunned silence.

"I knew there was a reason why I married you, you sexy man." She leaned over and kissed him soundly on the lips.

"Well Mr Cullen I will see you tomorrow evening then." I was only joking but his face fell as he thought I was leaving him till then. "I'm only joking," I told him, quickly. He smiled in response. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until you say I do. I still haven't forgiven you for disappearing so soon after you finally asked me."

"Isabella just because we are out of Chicago doesn't mean you don't need security. Don't go anywhere without Seth or Alex, do you understand?" The look on his face told me he was serious so I nodded and accepted the inevitable shadows. "Promise me you will not ever take your engagement ring off either."

"I take it that's where the tracker is then?" He at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed as he smiled at me. He didn't answer me just picked up my left hand and kissed the palm and then the back of my hand right at the base of my ring finger.

The presidential suite was incredibly grand. We didn't have to check in like normal guests, we were shown to the suite and everything was sorted by the concierge who was going to look after us during our stay. The others were in two suites on the same floor so Alex and Seth were close by if we needed them. It was late by the time we all got settled so we just we said goodnight and arranged to meet for breakfast the next morning in our suite.

"I don't know what to do first," said Edward, the door having just slammed with the departure of the concierge "Should I to peel those boots off or leave them on and just start with those nipples that have been staring at me all night?"

I really didn't mind so I stood in the middle of the incredible room that was surrounded by floor to ceiling windows and waited for further instructions. He stood looking at me as though he couldn't believe I was actually there.

"I want you naked," he said as he moved round the room and sat on the bed facing me. He removed his ever present jacket, tie and dark blue striped vest and placed them on the bed at the side of him. Next he undid his dress shirt, pulling it out of his pants and sat looking at me naked from the waist up.

"Naked Isabella" The shiver was back as I reacted to the voice.

He stood to unbuckle his belt and remove it, throwing it on the bed with the other discarded items..

I had seen this man naked so many times but I was still mesmerised whenever I watched him.

His words jolted me into action and I slowly removed my boots and jeans and socks. As I raised my jumper over my head I heard him gasp, I was stood before him in a tiny pair of sapphire blue silk panties and my engagement ring.

"You have never looked more beautiful Isabella."

I couldn't wait any longer so I walked towards him and straddled his lap.

EPOV

I was almost speechless, she looked so beautiful stood in front of me practically naked. I knew tradition stated we should spend the night apart but I couldn't be parted from her now. I needed tonight to make sure she understood what marrying me meant. It wasn't just being Mrs Edward Cullen, wife of the business man and the Mob Boss it was also about being my wife in every sense of the word. I was not going to live like I had with Tanya. Isabella needed to understand the needs she had awoken in me and I had to be sure she could live with the consequences. Tonight was about me loving her as I needed to and wanted to.

As she straddled my lap I could feel her warm skin as I skimmed my hands down to rest on her hips. Her panties needed to go so I carefully pulled on the bows that sat on each hip. The tiny barrier was gone but I was still clothed from the waist down. I took her face in my hands and traced the outline of her lips, my tongue touched every part of her sweet mouth. I didn't need to breathe; I just needed to feel she was connected to me, touching me. Before she even realised what I was doing I walked us to the huge window that overlooked the strip. The lights from the hotels and the advertising boards all merged to create an incredible back drop. I pressed her against the window, she gasped at the coldness of the glass against her skin but it soon changed into a long drawn out moan. I devoured her mouth hungrily, it was though I couldn't get enough of her and each time she tried to break away to breath I just focused my lips on her jaw. Her legs were wrapped around my waist so she was secure against the glass, I reached down to undo my dress pants. As they fell to the floor I pushed down my boxers. I was so hard I could actually feel myself throbbing. There was no foreplay, no checking she was ready for me just my selfish need as I felt the heat of her pussy envelop me as I pushed into her in one savage thrust.

BPOV

I never for one minute really classed myself as an exhibitionist but knowing anyone in the surrounding hotels could see me was a huge turn on. My back was pressed against the huge windows, my legs firmly wrapped around him as he set a pace I had never experienced before. His appetite was aggressive and insatiable as he moved me from the window to the chaise lounge and then onto to the bed. My scalp hurt where he had held my hair tightly as he pulled my head back and I knew I would have bruises from his grip on my hips. He was a different man tonight, it was as though he had finally let his defences down and I finally had a glimpse of the real him.

We were finally lying wrapped in each other arms on the bed, I was exhausted after the day I'd had but Edward was still wide awake and buzzing. I could feel his fingers stroking up and down my spine, each pass got a little lower and I knew he wasn't ready for sleep yet.

"Isabella are you okay, do you still want to marry me?" The question caught me totally unawares. I struggled to try and sit up to face him but he kept me held tight against him. He didn't want to look at me. The lights from the strip were ever flickering. Suddenly he looked frightened, almost unsure with the inconstant kaleidoscope of the metropolis bathing his face. I didn't understand what had happened in the last ten minutes to make him doubt me.

"Why wouldn't I want to marry you?" I put a hand to his face and cupped his cheek.

"Was I too rough with you, did I hurt you?" He pulled my hand away, almost as if he felt unworthy of my touch.

"How many times do I have to tell you that if you do anything I don't want to do or that hurts me I will tell you, believe me you will know." With that I reached up and dropped a kiss on his jaw. I swiped my lips across his stubble, imagining how it would feel on my already sore lower lips.

"I love you Isabella swan, I promise I will spend the rest of my life keeping you safe and loving you."

As his hand moved down my spine one more time his fingers went further than he'd dared before. I thought about what he was doing as his finger trailed down between my ass cheeks and pressed against my opening. I couldn't help the shudder and the moan that escaped from my mouth.

"Don't get too excited down there Mr Cullen, no way are you going there tonight." Before he could react I closed down any chance of a misunderstanding.

"'I'm not saying never, I'm just saying not now, we have to work up to that don't we?"

"Fucking hell Isabella, what have I done to deserve you?"

I was hoping for some sleep at some point during the night but as his stubble started to scrape once more on my tender inner thighs I gave up the thought, I could always sleep tomorrow night at some point.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I know you are waiting for the wedding, it is in the next chapter I promise.


	69. Chapter 69

TNMC

Chapter 66

BPOV

I wasn't nervous, I thought I would be, but as I stood behind the beautiful ornate screen in the pavilion waiting to walk down the aisle to Edward I was calm. My dress, bought that morning, was a cream and lilac silk shift dress. Alice had tried to steer me toward more expensive white wedding dresses however this was a low key event and given what Edward and I had been up to for the last few months I really couldn't justify wearing white. I was carrying a posy of lilac freesias courtesy of the hotel, and a matching spray fastened in my hair. Edward had a matching boutonnière as did the rest of the guests. I'd done my hair and makeup myself, the thought of being fussed over today of all days didn't do anything for me I wanted to look and feel like me. My only pang of regret was that Charlie wasn't here. Whilst it wasn't a church wedding where he could give me away in front of masses of family and friends it would have been nice to have him with me. Once he had established that I wasn't pregnant he cracked a joke about being relieved about not having to pay for it, however I could hear the crack in his voice. I promised to bring Edward to meet him soon. He signed off by making me promise to ring him as soon as I was back in Chicago. It felt urgent but he insisted it could wait.

The ceremony was short and sweet, not having very long to write our own vows, we both did a half decent attempt of telling each other how we felt and we promised to be honest to be each other always. That was my one stipulation as soon as we were married he had to be open and honest with me, no more disappearing in the night without explaining where he was going.

"Isabella I love you," his eyes crinkled as he gazed at me, his hands trembling almost imperceptibly. "I know I probably don't say it often enough, but I do and I want you to know I will love you forever. I will cherish you and keep you safe for the rest of my life." He placed the slim platinum wedding band on my finger.

"I love you Edward," I began, my voice cracking just a little under the pressure of the emotion. "I love the man you are and the man you have to be. You can be who you need to be during the day but when you are home you are free to be the man you are in here." I touched his heart then slipped the titanium wedding band onto his finger.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," said the official. Without waiting to be asked Edward swept me into his arms and kissed me. As I pulled away, slightly dazed, to the sounds of whoops and cheers from our small band of witnesses, my face flushed. I looked up into his face, slightly stunned at the first kiss of our married life. He beamed down at me. I had never seen him happier.

Everybody else had left shortly after the ceremony and it was a relief not to have to deal with speeches or seating plans or choregraphing a first dance. He asked if I wanted to go to an expensive restaurant but I refused, suggesting room service instead. As soon as we got back to the room Edward made everything legal by hiking the delicate dress over my hips, pulling my delicate white panties to one side and fucking me hard and fast. He never even removed his jacket as we both came hard and fast. As we regained our breath he started to fill the oversized tub with scented water. He helped me off with my dress and the wispy new lingerie I bought before burying his head in my pussy as he positioned me on the edge of the tub bringing me to two toe curling orgasms as the scented steam enveloped us. Finally sated and relaxed I lay back against his body, enjoying both the feel of his bulk behind me and the warm water. He smoothed my hair to one side and rested his head in the crook of my neck, his arms wrapped tight around my torso. I honestly don't think that I had ever been happier than in that moment. I had always thought that telephones in the bathroom were pointless but I finally got it as Edward ordered room service while we were still in the tub. As we sprawled on the giant bed in fluffy white robes waiting on cheeseburgers and chocolate cake to be delivered my heart tightened as I realised that I had never seen him so relaxed and happy. Was it just that he was far away from business or was he relieved to have got the ring on my finger? Tomorrow I would be Mrs Isabella Cullen but tonight we were just newlyweds caught up in the moment and our love.

Tonight had been just as exciting and sexual as last night, but the occasion had finally caught up with us and we were both more asleep than awake. I couldn't resist one more cuddle and a quick glance at my wedding band before I finally gave in and slept so I cuddled up close to my husband. Our slumber was broken by the alarm on Edward's phone. We were still in the same position I knew I'd fallen asleep in. Our naked bodies touching at every point as he slept on his back and I was cuddled into his side. His arm was wrapped around me and kept me pulled close to him. He was protecting me even in his sleep.

"Fuck no not yet," Edward mumbled. The alarm on his phone was chirping merrily. My head was snuggled into his shoulder, his arm tight around me, exactly where we had fallen asleep last night. "I was having the most fuck awesome dream." He murmured as he stroked his hand along my hip before squeezing my ass cheek.

"Mmmm, it better have been me in the starring role, or you will have some explaining to do." I croaked as my throat started to wake up.

"I dreamt we got married and had hours and hours of sex." He reached over to the nightstand, snoozed the alarm then rolled over towards me.

"That wasn't a dream sweetheart." My hand brushed down his solid abs. I felt his stomach muscles tenses as my fingertips playfully stroked.

"Thank fuck for that, I can stop worrying you are going to realise what I do with my days and leave me." He turned on his side to face me, morning wood pressing into my stomach.

"I have a pretty good idea how you spend your day. I spoke to the authorities, remember?" It was meant to be a joke but his face darkened as he remembered what had happened.

"That fucker will get his just desserts shortly." He pulled me tight against him.

"Can we leave business until tomorrow," I angled my head up and planted a kiss on his jawline. "I want our first day of married life to be drama free."

With impeccable timing his cell phone rang. I sighed and slumped back onto the pillows, a little annoyed. Surely one day wasn't too much to ask?

"That was Jasper," he relayed with a grin, putting the phone back on the nightstand. "The suite is booked for another night, the jet is coming back for us tomorrow afternoon and Jasper has warned the team not to contact me unless there's a life or death emergency." I snuggled into him as he pulled me close again. It looked like my wish would be granted and I was determined to make the most of it.

EPOV

I felt like a new man. Knowing she was finally mine and that the authorities couldn't touch her lifted a huge weight that I didn't even realise I was carrying. I couldn't believe how different it felt to be a married man this time. Last time with Tanya it had been a huge production with hundreds of guests and an understanding between the two of us that we were in something we had no control over. We had to just get on with it and make the best of a bad job.

This time it felt so much more natural. I loved this woman with all my heart and things were going to be different. I was going to put effort in. I wanted to do date nights and mini breaks and to get home in time for dinner with her. She had handled everything I'd thrown at her so far. She matched me in the bedroom as well as everywhere else. It was time for me to let her in to my world.

Despite being in Vegas we never left the suite when we were given our twenty four hours of peace and quiet. It just seemed too precious to share with other people, we just talked and just spent time together. It was a poor excuse for a honeymoon but I was already planning how to clear my schedule so I could take her somewhere warm and secluded where we could spend time alone just doing the normal things ordinary couples do. I'm not overly paranoid but I do realise that as the head of such a big organisation, I am always a target for a takeover. Shit even my own mother and godfather wanted rid of me.

The jet picked us up late afternoon. We had finally got dressed late morning and wandered down into the casino because Isabella had never been before. I felt strange in the casual clothes Isabella had packed for me. I tried to remember the last time I'd worn something so casual but it was years ago, probably college. Tanya would never have stood for denim never mind converse and t shirts. The look on Isabella's face when I walked out of the suite's closet in them cemented my decision to wear them and to make sure I wore them when I was with her as much as possible.

We played a few hands of 21, she threw a few dice on the craps table and played on the roulette wheel. It was only when she realised she had already lost $3000 that she freaked and refused to place any more bets. We wandered around just watching some of the serious players throwing chips about like they were nothing. I was too much of a control freak to be a gambler. I liked to know my odds and I did everything in my power to make sure they were in my favour. Everyone knows the house wins eventually in these places.

I had every intention of us joining the mile high club on the way home as we had the jet to ourselves but Isabella fell asleep within ten minutes of take off. We hadn't had much sleep over the past seventy two hours so I left her to sleep and made some calls to see what I'd missed while I'd been in Vegas.

"Congratulations bro," said Emmett, "so happy you finally got the ring on her finger but still pissed I couldn't be there." He was in his usual happy mood.

"Thanks Emmett, anything I need to know?"

"Fucking hell Edward," he protested, "can't you at least wait until your home before you slip back into boss mode?"

"Isabella is resting so I'm just ringing to make sure I'm not coming back to a shit storm."

"Nothing you need worry about, I've dealt with the little problem you had at the house."

"How?" I was surprised he had managed to resolve this so quickly.

"Well let's just say he will no longer be a problem."

"Emmett this is a secure line," I was getting frustrated with his obtuse answers, "tell me what the fuck happened."

"I had him bought to the warehouse and tied to my favourite chair," he laughed. "He was already shitting himself before I even got into the room and he coughed as soon as I opened my tool bag."

"Go on," I urged him.

"It was just as we expected, she's been flirting with him for years. You know a touch on the face, a stroke down his arm, the idiot actually thought she liked him." He snorted. "She has played him for years, a call to see if he was okay, an invitation to have a drink with her when you weren't home, just little things that kept him in her pocket and his dick hard."

"So you're happy there is nothing to actually worry about?" I was racking my brain trying to think what Michael could have had access too.

"He has only been in the control room at your home, other than the occasional meeting there isn't really anything he could have seen or heard. But..."

"But?" I didn't like the sound of that.

"He was on duty when we took Denali away from the house at my wedding. He didn't actually come to the warehouse but he could quite easily have spoken to some of the guys who did."

"Fuck," I rubbed my hands along the bridge of my nose, tension suddenly returning to my head. "I'd forgotten about that."

"Has the new Mrs Cullen literally fucked you stupid?" His laugh was loud and annoying. It was a good job he was my brother and on the other side of the country.

"Fuck off moron," I snapped, glancing at Isabella to check that she was still asleep. "What did you do?"

"Well I was going to just knock him around a little and leave him with a few broken bones but when he started to spout crap about how Tanya loved him and wouldn't let me hurt him I knew I needed to put some pressure on. After a little gentle persuasion from some of my favourite tools he finally admitted he knew about Denali being dead but he was adamant he hadn't told Tanya."

"Do you believe him?"

"At the time no. But thinking about it, Tanya wouldn't have been able to keep that to herself. She would enjoy playing the grieving daughter too much and she would have been in your face demanding you look after her as you'd taken away her only source of income."

"Emm, what the fuck did you do with him?"

"After my favourite knuckle duster said hello to his face and I broke his jaw and snapped his neck it was over in a few minutes. We took him across town to the funeral home so they could throw him in the oven. They were cooking when we got there. He went straight in, clothes and all."

BPOV

I can't believe I feel asleep so quickly, I was really looking forward to us having the jet to ourselves on the way back but I was exhausted. I swear I only closed my eyes for a second but here I am in that lovely state of not being quite awake but still aware of my surroundings. I could hear Edward was talking to someone so I presumed normal service had resumed. I stretched and groaned, mainly to alert him to the fact I was awake in case he needed to change his conversation.

"Good evening, angel," he said, his eyes alight as he leant over and stroked my face.

"Hey," I replied, rubbing my eyes.

"We need to talk about the lunch tomorrow. Do you want to do it now or do you want to wait until we get home?" I was losing him already back to his business so I decided to make the most of our time left in the air.

"It can wait, can't it? I was hoping we could join that club you were on about."

"Well Mrs Cullen I'm sure membership can be arranged, do you want to join here and now or would you like to go back into the very comfortable seating area behind us that has a sofa and a very soft rug on the floor?" His eyebrows went high on his forehead as he started to remove the soft blanket that had been put over me at some point.

"I really don't mind husband, as long as we aren't going to be disturbed you can activate the membership where ever you like."

The rest of the flight passed in a blur as we joined the mile high club twice just to make sure our membership was official.


	70. Chapter 70

TNMC Chapter 67

EPOV

"Governor and Mrs Florrick," said Alice, effusively, shaking the hand of a handsome middle aged man and air kissing his younger wife on the cheek, "how lovely of you to attend at such short notice." My sister was in full flow as she played hostess and welcomed our guests to the most sought after restaurant in town. The light, bright room was just as I wanted several small tables of eight and one large table in the middle. The seating plan was designed to annoy Tanya and highlight the fact my mother and Denali were missing.

The room was full of fresh flowers, all white, and the place settings the finest china. There was a selection of French crystal glassware in front of each chair that promised a selection of the finest wines and champagne. In another time and another world this could quite easily have been our wedding breakfast instead of an elaborate ploy to plan the murder of a federal agent. I looked at the menu card on each place setting and wondered briefly how the restaurant had managed to get everything together so quickly. I had no real interest in what was actually being served I was just here for the fireworks, to finally see Tanya dealt with and to start the ball rolling on the demise of Jarvis.

"Edward," said Alice, her smile fixed to her face like armour, "everyone is here except Tanya." I rolled my eyes, she would make a grand entrance twenty minutes late. "Can you please go and speak to the Governor and the Police Chief they are both a little wary of why they are here."

I looked round for Isabella. She was talking to Rosie and from the look of it she was trying to calm her down. I called over my Dad and Liz and asked them to go and help her, to make sure Rosie could get herself together. I knew this was a big deal for her, she was happier waitressing at the club but Emmett was a Cullen and she had to realise the life she had married into. My Bella on the other hand looked calm and collected.

"Where the fuck is Emmett?" I growled.

"He's with Jasper somewhere," her phone pinged and she took it out of her little bag, "but they are just five minutes away."

I watched as my Dad took Rosie in his arms and gave her a hug. She seemed to relax but was looking doggedly at the entrance. I knew she was just waiting for Emmett to get to her. I had grave doubts that she would survive in this life and I knew Emmett and I would need to talk soon. I looked at my watch and wandered over to my guests.

"Thank you so much for coming today. I would like to introduce my wife to you." I looked around for Isabella and caught her eye. I couldn't help but stare as she walked towards me. She was dressed in a tight fitting dark red wrap dress that accentuated every one of her curves. I silently thanked whoever was listening that I'd come here straight from the office because she would never have made it out of the bedroom if I'd seen her first. Her legs were covered with the sheerest silk and she was wearing the only pair of heels I knew she owned. I desperately needed to get myself under control or all the room would see my problem quite easily.

"Isabella," I indicated the guests but my eyes never left Isabella, "allow me to introduce you to Peter Florrick the Governor and his wife Alicia."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr Florrick, Mrs Florrick." She shook hands briefly but elegantly with each of them, flashing them a genuine smile which they both returned.

"Well I have to say Mrs Cullen it's a pleasure to meet you too," Peter raised his eyebrows at me, "I'm just surprised. I had no idea Edward was engaged never mind married again." He looked at his wife for help but her face remained blank. They were both trying to place Bella. I smiled safe in the knowledge they wouldn't know her from the social circles he usually ran in. I almost choked when he checked her ring finger to make sure there was a wedding band.

"As you probably know Governor," said Isabella, brightly, "Edward is not known for his patience, as soon as I said yes we were on a plane to Vegas and the rest, as they say, is history." She was cool and confident with him and I fell just a little bit more in love with her, especially when the letch stole a glance at her cleavage. Isabella realised he was looking and quickly bought her left hand up to cover her chest and make sure he got a good look at the platinum and diamond band on her finger.

I introduced her to the Chief of Police next. It didn't take long for her to tell him that her own father held the same status but in a much smaller town. They chatted and I made a mental note to make sure Isabella spoke to Charlie again soon because after today the FBI and everyone else would be all over him like a rash. She'd called him from Vegas to tell him we had eloped and apologise for not letting him know. I thought he actually sounded relieved he didn't have to pay for some huge wedding but it was probably more to do with me and him not having to face me just yet.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said the Maitre'd, "if you would like to take your seats lunch is served." Emmett and Jasper had just arrived. We all sat down in accordance with the seating plan. There were three notable spaces, my mother, Denali and of course Tanya. We'd allocated the seating as though we had expected them all to arrive. Denali's chair was on the table with the Police Chief and my mother was next to the Governor. Tanya had a place on the table furthest away from me.

Lunch was exceptional. The food was exquisite and the wine selection incredible, I had already asked the sommelier to box me a case of each bottle served and to have it delivered to the house. We were just being served the desert, a delicate lemon tart with a tangy mango sauce and Chantilly cream when Tanya finally breezed in over an hour late.

"What the fuck?" she screamed, coming to a complete standstill just inside the room. "Edward why are all these people here?" She addressed me without actually looking at me, too busy trying to take in all the different faces in the room.

"As ever Tanya you're just in time for the champagne and announcements." Carlisle was on his feet the second she entered the room and raised his champagne flute toward her. He turned and spoke to the room. "Ladies and gentlemen it gives me great pleasure in introducing to you all two new members of our family. These two young ladies have both already gained a place in my heart, not only because I am so grateful they have taken my two boys off my hands and made honest men out of them..." With that the room burst into a spontaneous display of humour, there were cat calls and laughter from the people who really knew the Cullen's business and polite applause from the people who didn't understand the hilarity the comment had cause.

"If you would kindly let me finish," Carlisle, despite being retired still had a commanding presence and the room shushed at his command, "before I introduce them formally to the room I just want to wish my boys every happiness, they have both found their soul mates." His smile was genuine and full of love as he saluted first me and the Emmett.

"Edward how could you!" The scream from the doorway made everybody turn to Tanya, the source of the commotion.

"When you invited me to a private lunch at our favourite restaurant I thought you were finally over all this divorce nonsense and ready for us to be a family again." She started to walk towards me, crazy in her eyes. I knew I had to head her off before she got too close. The security team hovered, poised, but I shook my head imperceptibly. I didn't want this getting uglier.

I pushed my chair back, ready to stand and face her but Isabella placed her hand on my thigh. I looked down at her beautiful hands. No garish nail polish, just a pale pink that looked natural and wholesome. My first thought was I wished she'd placed her hand a fraction higher but as I shook that thought out of my mind I heard Isabella whisper in my ear.

"Let me deal with this please." I looked into her eyes and they were calm and full of love for me. The sparkle in her beautiful brown and gold flecked eyes as she waited for my answer tugged at my heart and I felt it expand. The heat from her hand burnt into my thigh as her stare caused shivers down my spine. I nodded and sat back.

"Tanya," she gushed, getting to her feet. "I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding. Edward left you that message on your answer phone because you didn't reply to the invitation. When you didn't respond to that either we just presumed that you didn't want to join us to celebrate our wonderful news." She cocked her head, emulating sympathy but I saw her pulling herself to her full height to look down at Tanya. "I mean," she lowered her voice but you could have heard a pin drop as everybody tried to hear what was being said, "I completely understand, you know, with you now being the ex Mrs Cullen."

I looked between Tanya and Isabella. Tanya was red faced and I knew from the set of her head and body she was ready to explode. I'd seen that face a thousand times, every time her father or I said no to her or she didn't get the respect she thought she deserved. Isabella on the other hand looked serene. As she picked up her wine glass and took a drink the shimmer on the surface of the liquid gave away the slight tremble of her hand.

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?" Everybody in the room inhaled a collective breath, the atmosphere taut. "I am Tanya Cullen. I've been part of this family since the day I was born you and the waitress over there are just..?"

"Before you finish that statement Ms Denali," Isabella cut her off, "please remember that my husband and I have a room full of guests who are witnessing your behaviour." She turned to the room as if to acknowledge the people sat riveted listening to the floor show.

"I don't give a flying fuck who is listening," her voice wobbled a little underneath the vitriol, "I am Mrs Cullen and always will be. "When his infatuation with you finally wanes I'll be waiting for him to come to his senses." The venom was on full display now her hatred hard to disguise.

Isabella just smiled and placed her hand on my shoulder. I could feel her grip as she fought to keep her temper. Her fingers dug into the material of my jacket and I was sure if she applied anymore pressure I would feel her nails pierce my skin. While that excited me and the twitch in my trousers confirmed that, I knew I had to get Tanya onto the subject of her father.

"Tanya enough," said Carlisle sharply, "this is a lunch to introduce all our friends to Isabella and Rosalie. I will not have you ruin what is a happy occasion for us." I nodded at Carlisle and he stood up again tapping his fork against his champagne flute.

"Finally, I am very proud to introduce to you my two new daughters in laws Mrs Rosalie Cullen and Mrs Isabella Cullen." He blew both of them a kiss as the rest of the room repeated their names and raised their champagne flutes.

"Mother, why are you even here? Where is Daddy?" Tanya screeched across the room to get the attention back on her.

"Tanya can you please leave," Aunt Sully walked over to stand behind me and Isabella. "You are making a spectacle of yourself. " Her positioning was perfect, making it obvious to our guests where her allegiance lay.

"Not until you tell me where Daddy is." That horrible voice made an appearance, the one she thought was alluring and babyish enough to make any man do what she wanted. "I haven't spoken to him in days and he isn't answering his cell."

"Tanya it's time you knew," said Aunt Sully, gravely as she made her way towards her daughter. She put an arm on Tanya's and tried to guide her away but Tanya snatched her arm furiously away, keeping the spectacle public.

"You really want to do this here?" she asked her. Tanya nodded and stood firm.

"Your father has got himself into a lot of trouble with the wrong kind of people. During the night a while back some agents in dark suits turned up and took him away. When I asked where he was going they said he was going into a witness protection programme and he'd requested to go on his own." She delivered the speech flawlessly and without any emotion, the room was deathly quiet as everyone continued to stare at her. She raised her head defiantly, tears starting to run down her face, the perfect image of a scorned woman.

"He didn't want any of his family with him Tanya," she continued, "certainly neither of us, so we both know where we stand." Her voice wobbled as if on the verge of tears. "My husband has gone as has your daddy. We need to sort out the rest of our lives without him so I suggest you look for somewhere to live and I will sort out what you are going to live on."

I looked over at the governor but he was already in a deep discussion with the Police chief. I needed them to start rattling cages so I could get to Jarvis. They needed to believe some other government agency had rushed in and taken Denali away. Both were on their phones, not even bothering to disguise the urgency of their calls.

"I don't believe for a second he would leave me like that, Daddy wouldn't do that." She was busy looking around the room again before turning back to me.

"Where is your mother Edward?" She changed tack, desperately trying to turn the situation in her favour. "I presume she doesn't approve of this little get together or she would be here, seeing as she is the head of the family." She was desperately looking for someone she could latch onto, someone who could support her.

"Esme has been called away unexpectedly. She's had an emergency at her property in Mexico, something to do with some flooding." I couldn't help myself, I wanted to see her reaction when she realised I knew everything.

"How do you know...?" Tanya stuttered looking across at Carlisle, then back at me.

"Of course we knew Tanya," Carlisle laughed, a harsh tone evident, nothing like the voice that had just toasted his sons happiness. "Do you really think she would buy property, renovate it and furnish it without talking to us as a family? We know all about her house and her plans to retire from public life and move down there with you."

"With me?" "Why with me?" Tanya was stuttering again and she started to fidget.

"Surely you aren't going to deny you've been having an affair with my mother for several years. You two have been having quite the clandestine but torrid love affair, haven't you?" I looked at her as she looked at her mother, a flush finally spreading across her cheeks.

"Come on Tanya, my mother would be devastated if you denied her now. She is ready for the world to know about her love for you. She was saying before she left that when she comes back she was going to talk to you about the two of you getting married and moving to Mexico." I knew it was over the top but I wanted the whole world to know what they had been doing and there were enough people in this room to make sure the whole of her social circle would know before the day was out.

"Tanya congratulations darling I'm so happy for you," Aunt Sully raised her glass of champagne.

"Congratulations," the whole room echoed, a cacophony of voices that drowned out Tanya's scream. She turned and stomped out of the room.

That was the Denali's dealt with. Jarvis and my mother next.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Okay I admit it I'm a huge The Good wife fan and I couldn't resist including them. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter , we are nearly at the end of this story and I am busy tying up all the loose ends.

It may take me a little while to get he ending I want so please bare with me.

Ladyletters thank you so much for everything I really couldn't have done this without you.


	71. Chapter 71

TNMC

Chapter 68

We are with Esme now she knows nothing about the lunch or Denali at this stage.

Esme Pov

I took a deep breath and tried again to get comfortable in the small restrictive seat. The airline was not one of my favourites. No business class, just economy. I was wedged between a sweaty business man in a dreadful synthetic suit who snored from the second the plane took off and some hoodie wearing adolescent who had his headphones in the whole flight.

I desperately wanted this flight to be over so that I could relax with a cocktail on the balcony at my new home. Home, I was surprised I thought of it as that but I did. The phone call from my housekeeper had been urgent and somewhat confusing. She rambled on about a problem with the swimming pool, something about an underground leak that had flooded the basement causing damage to all the stock down there. I had no idea what she was talking about because there was nothing in the basement. The last shipment I'd allowed through had been removed weeks ago as promised. Now that the property was to be my home I had no intention if using it for trade. I already had my eye on an anonymous industrial unit a few miles away as somewhere I could trade from.

A smile twisted my face. Carlisle thought he was so clever, the only one with a business brain, but every once in a while I arrange a deal of my own. I wasn't fussy sometimes it was weapons, sometimes drugs and I even dabbled in the sex market at one point. I made money and put it away so that if I ever needed to disappear, I could. Edward had been much sharper than his layabout father. He somehow managed to shut down my drug supply. He never knew I was the buyer he just stopped the supplier dealing to anyone but himself.

I was met at the airport by my driver and he quickly made his way out of town, mercifully silent apart from his initial greeting. I started to relax as I smelt the familiar aromas and watched the landscape change. The concrete disappeared and by the time we pulled into the mile long drive way there wasn't another soul to be seen. The house looked just as I'd left it the last time I was here. It was stunning, my dream recreated just as the architect had promised. I'd started with a few sketches and a list of what I wanted and she had designed me a home I would happily live the rest of my life in. I sighed. The only fly in the ointment is that I didn't want to be here alone for the rest of my life. Tears prickled my eyes and I brushed them away angrily, barely acknowledging the driver as he opened the door for me again.

I walked up the entrance steps into the foyer. All my favourite paintings greeted me. They had been collected from my life with Carlisle, my parents home and even one I'd picked up at auction from my son's home. Tanya was selling off the family art collection without a second thought. I shouted for the housekeeper.

"Good afternoon Consuela," she looked harassed and uncomfortable. A flash of anger swept through me, she knew that I was coming. I swallowed it down. "Do you want to show me the damage now or shall I go and change first?"

"Go and change Mrs Cullen," she replied, in heavily accented English, "your suite has been aired for you and the pool has been fixed. The water has gone from the basement so you just need to make a decision about the goods down there."

"So what was all the urgency about, it seems you have sorted everything out?" I bent down and removed my heels. I always wanted to walk around barefoot here. The beautiful tiled floor was cool against my feet and felt smooth and refreshing. After years of wearing punishing stilettos it was sheer bliss.

"Go change and then I will show you." She ushered me towards the stairs pulling my large travelling case behind her. I really needed to start filling the closets here, I mused. It would be easier to have everything I needed here so for the next few trips before I finally moved in I could travel without luggage.

She wheeled the case into my closet and left me to get changed. I'd brought enough clothing for the next seven days so I hung up the suit I'd travelled in and changed into a light summer dress. I removed all my makeup and carefully applied a moisturiser and then some sun block. The sun was powerful here and I needed to look after my skin. It was also the only place where I could get rid of the mask that was Esme Cullen and become the person I wanted to be. I am so tired of living a lie. I want out of the family. I want out of my marriage and most of all I want out of the role I have to play in society. The country club, the fundraisers and gala dinners, all of those fake people vying for my attention. Being Mrs Carlisle Cullen was not any use to me now. I had all the money I would ever need, I had my dream home and I was nearly free.

I wondered as I brushed my hair loose if Liz would take up the mantle of Mrs Cullen or whether Edward would pass it on to Isabella. There was no way Tanya was ever going to fill my shoes, that much became obvious early on and I knew that Edward would have problems with her. She was happy attending all the society engagements, the dressing up and shopping was second nature to her, but actually organising a fundraiser and seeing it through. I shook my head in the mirror, and checked the small scar still visible in my hair line from my last procedure as I smoothed out the tight chignon I always wore to travel. Tanya didn't have the brains or the patience never mind the inclination for the outward facing parts of the role. She was too busy looking after number one. My heart ached just slightly. Despite her flaws I loved the woman, I couldn't help it but I was under no illusions about her. I knew she would never settle here, it was too far from the little pond she loved being a big fish in.

I threw my phone in the drawer of the nightstand and walked downstairs. I paused on the landing it was quiet, much too quiet. There were no staff here, no gardeners, no pool boy and I couldn't hear anybody in the kitchen. Usually when Consuela knows I'm due everything is freshened up and I'm tripping over staff for a couple of days. This time everything was quiet, not a soul about the place and when I went looking for her I found her preparing my evening meal.

"Where is everyone? Why are you cooking? Where is the chef?" she looked at me and her eyes were full of sorrow.

"You need to go and see the basement, that will explain." She returned to washing the salad.

I worked into the small empty larder and flipped the switch under the shelf. The door opened and after turning on the lights I walked down the steps into what should have been an empty space.

"What the hell is this lot?" I asked out loud. I moved round the room looking at the boxes of weapons covering the floor. I had no idea where these had come from and who they belonged to. It was only then I realised the floor was bone dry. No leak and definitely no flooding. Consuela had got me here under false pretences and that meant I was in trouble. Someone, either my son or a rival dealer had set me up. I looked around the markings on the boxes, they were from my normal contact. Most of my shipments came via the government contacts, a thank you and payment for the information I'd given them over the years and the introduction to Denali I'd engineered. These definitely were from the normal source but I wasn't expecting them.

I needed to call my contact but I hadn't bought the 'safe' phone they had issued me with, it was safely locked away in the safe at home. Not the one Emmett had cracked when he was a boy, the one I'd had installed in the garage out of the way of the staff and the family. I made my way back upstairs and there was a welcoming committee in the kitchen.

I knew Carlos, he had been Carlisle's friend for years and no doubt that relationship had been passed onto Edward. He was the main man in Mexico and the fact he was here himself was not a good sign.

"Carlos what a wonderful surprise how are you?" I needed time to think, he needed convincing I wasn't dealing under his nose.

"Mrs Cullen." I expected him to be more familiar, Carlisle and I had spent time with him and his wife several times over the years.

"I'm surprised to see what you have done with this old property," he said, taking a shiny apple from the fruit bowl and biting into it. "I had no idea you had bought it. I thought it still belonged to the family that were here for many generations. Why did they sell it to you?"

"They sold it to me because I offered them a lot of money," I smiled, trying to build a rapport." I understand that they bought a more modern house further down the coast."

"Such workmanship," he said, running a hand over the beautiful wooden worktops that had been cut from timber felled from this very estate. I felt my patience wear thin.

"Is there a point to this visit, Carlos?" He smiled, chewing the apple loudly with his mouth open.

"Who's are the guns?"

"I have no idea what they are doing here," that was the truth. "I would have thought you of all people would know who was dealing in the area." I leaned in a little closer, talking quietly. "To be honest I naturally assumed they belonged to you. Knowing I owned the property must have made this an ideal storage facility for you."

"You know you are second person in your family to throw that insult me," he growled, "Do you think I do not know what is happening in my own country? I have kept your secret because of the respect I have for you and your husband but no more. Do not let your government dogs bring weapons here again. With that he and his entourage walked out of my house. "We will take the weapons." I nodded, there was nothing else to really say.

The only thing I could think about was that someone from the family had been here and spoken to him. Edward obviously knew all about the house and the guns, he was the only person who could have spoken to Carlos. That would explain him knowing about Tanya as well. What I needed to find out was who the leak was? Who had talked about the house? I'd been so careful, or I thought I had. Tomorrow I needed to get to the bank and check the accounts as well as making sure the weapons were all gone. If need be I'd seal up the basement so nobody left anything for safe keeping down there again.

The rest of the day passed smoothly, Consuela seemed to relax a little after the visit and I was able to finally look forward to my week of peace and quiet. It was late evening and the sun was just starting to set. The beautiful orange hue cast a warm colourful veil over my home as I lay on my favourite lounger. I had total privacy here, I wasn't overlooked from the house so I lay here to dry off after my shower. The rumble of two large trucks broke the silence and I knew Carlos's men had turned up to collect their 'payment'.

I remained where I was, there was no point going and trying to reason with them or even try and talk. I presumed that Raul his son would probably be here overseeing the collection and he would make sure it was handled properly. I took a swallow of the gin and lay back willing them to hurry so they were gone from my home. Their presence confirmed that I would never deal from here again. I needed this to be my private space.

The shouts of the men startled me awake. My nap interrupted as the old truck engines turned over taking away hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of weaponry. I stood and watched as the last of the trucks disappeared down the drive closely followed my Consuela on her bicycle.

Carlos POV

"My friend, are you sure you want me to do this, I have been to see her today and she was genuinely surprised the stock was there?" I couldn't get a read on his mood over the telephone. It was annoying he wasn't in front of me. This was a huge thing he was asking me to do, killing the wife of a surviving Mob boss.

"Yes, take the stock as payment and do as we agreed." Edward's manner was cold and matter of fact. It was as though he was talking about exterminating a rival.

"Tonight?" It was more of a question than a statement. I wanted to give him an out if he needed one.

"Yes."

The conversation was short but to the point, but I had agreed to do it and I knew when I needed a favour it would also be repaid whatever the consequences.

"Okay let's go and do this" I said to my son as I cut the connection on the call. He was my right hand man just as it should be.

"You stay here papa, you do not need to be concerned with this. It is a simple job the explosives are already set they just need the detonators. Once we have the crates out we will set the timer for twenty minutes to give us time to be clear of the property."

I nodded and sat back down behind my desk. I was glad to leave this to my son. We shouldn't be getting involved at this level but this was a personal favour to a good man and his son. I poured myself a scotch, a habit I'd picked up from Carlisle and sat and waited for the news to come through.

It took several hours but finally the call came, "Papa it's done, it's no more."

I repeated the same message to Edward and said a quiet prayer he could live with what he'd just done. His mother was dead and while it wasn't by his hand it was on his instruction.


	72. Chapter 72

TNMC

Chapter 69

I'm sorry for the delay RL has been awful this past two weeks with my mum in hospital. Hopefully she will be on the mend soon and everything can get back to normal.

I've also completed my submission for the Babies at the Borders compilation. It's a future take from my Story That Night. It's not for the faint hearted but its part one and I'm hoping to have part two out for Christmas. If you haven't donated please do, it's worth the $10 or so to get over 100 stories from your favourite authors past and present.

Also LL and I could not agree about this chapter. We saw Edwards's behaviour in two very different ways so... if you are sensitive I apologise unreservedly up front.

Finally I'm my thoughts go the family of Judyblu95. She was a wonderful lady who supported me from my early days in FF and she helped me finish That Night. Her honest critique and thoughts gave me the courage to accept that kink is much more normal than we realise. I'll miss you Judy xx

EPOV

The call came in just as the sun started to rise. I was awake instantly. Very few people had my direct cell phone number so I knew it had to be important.

"It's done." Was I glad? Relieved? Upset? . I probed, deep down, but couldn't decide how I felt. She was my mother surely I should feel something?

I turned to look at Isabella to make sure she was still sleeping. It still thrilled me to see her in my bed but it was so much more now that she was my wife. Her smooth shoulders were exposed above the covers and her hair fanned out over the pillows. The need to touch her was overwhelming, to stroke my fingertips along her exposed collar bone and down onto her chest. Just as I reached out my attention was drawn back to the call.

"Are you listening?" The voice barked out of the phone, annoyed. I cleared my throat, confirming they had attention. "They watched from a distance. The blast and fire were so intense nothing could have survived. The building has been completely destroyed." I could hear the pride in his voice. He'd done me a huge favour. I was now in his debt.

"The body?" I whispered, not wanting to give it a name.

"You have my word, nothing survived that blast. It was felt a mile away and the smoke could be seen in town." I could tell he was unhappy I was challenging him but I needed to be sure she was gone. I would have preferred confirmation that his team had seen the body but there was nothing that I could do after the event.

"Make sure you have photos of the aftermath and have them sent to Jasper," I told him, my voice a little stronger but not loud enough to wake Isabella "Will the local police need dealing with or have you sorted that?" I knew he would be annoyed how I was speaking to him but he had to know that he had messed up by not giving me conclusive proof.

"They will be no trouble at all. When and if they even find the remains they will presume it is the owner. "

With that he hung up. I thought of ringing Carlisle to make him aware of what had happened but decided against it. We would have to wait until the authorities got in touch with us. If Esme had been supplied by the CIA or some other agency they would have the house under some loose surveillance anyway. A blast that big would definitely register with them.

Jasper and I had already decided the best outcome of this would be to make sure the house was re-registered in the Cullen name. That way we could announce her death in a very public way. Especially seeing as she had died thousands of miles away from me and the family. Everything was ready and we would all play the grieving family as soon as they managed to identify her remains. We had been careful with the bank accounts, leaving one in the Cullen name with cash in but all the others in her new fake identity had been emptied during the day and deposited off shore in a bogus company account we kept for laundering money in. When the authorities in Mexico started to look into the fire they would find the property registered to us and hopefully a dead family member.

I lay in the darkness trying to sort out my emotions. I wanted to feel something, anything, but as I thought back over the years of indifference on her part I struggled to identify any one emotion.

Yes, she was my mother, she gave birth to me. But as soon as I was old enough to realise what my father was and I expressed an interest she pulled away. A wash of guilt rose like bile in my stomach. I pushed it back down, deep down. The bitch took a hit out on me. She fucked my ex-wife. She cheated on Carlisle. There was so many reasons that she wasn't worthy of any sympathy.

I turned to face Isabella. She was in a deep sleep that only the innocent can achieve, tired out by our earlier lovemaking. I carefully moved the hair that was covering her face so I could see her. The morning sunlight had started to penetrate the room and I could see the outline of her sleeping features. I couldn't help but touch her. I craved feeling her skin under my fingers and the craving seemed to get stronger every day. My desire, no my need, for her was escalating at an alarming rate. It was one of the few things on this earth that frightened me. I knew it was irrational but it was how I felt.

I moved closer to her, spooning her so I touched every part of her body. I wrapped my arm around her waist and snuggled as close as I could. She let out a sigh and relaxed against me, her body warm and soft. My cock was pressed up against her ass cheeks and I instinctively started to rock against her. My body was reacting as it always did when she was close by. I carefully slipped my hand between her thighs and lifted her leg dragging it back a little and resting it on my thigh. She was open and exposed to me and I was thankful she loved to sleep naked. My cock had a mind of its own and with a few slight adjustments slipped into her warm moist folds without any problem. I stroked into her the first time slowly keeping my movement shallow and careful. As much as the warmth and moisture called to me I wanted her to stay asleep for a while yet. The idea of fucking her while she was asleep seemed wicked and almost perverted but it excited me, another first for us. I managed several more strokes, each one deeper and more forceful than the last before she showed signs of waking. I stopped still inside her hoping she would go back to sleep. The thought of coming inside her without waking her heightened my excitement and caused my cock to twitch wildly.

"Mmmm Edward, I love you," she murmured as she tried to snuggle closer to me.

"I love you too." She sighed as though she'd heard me and slipped back into her sleep.

I desperately wanted to let loose and just pound into her but I kept myself in check and slowly stroked in and out of her rapidly twitching pussy. I wondered if she could have an orgasm in her sleep or semi conscious state as I felt the tell tale fluttering of her pussy walls. I skimmed my finger tips up her stomach and across her nipple, it reacted instantly and as I watched it tighten and stand tall I finally lost my patience. All my good intentions of watching her come in her sleep disappeared as I drove into her. She awoke with a start so I tightened my grip on her holding her in place as my hips took on a life of their own.

"What the..." was all she managed before I came deep and hard inside her. I slumped over pinning her to the bed underneath me, her leg falling forward off my thigh.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help myself." I kissed her shoulders and hair. Suddenly I was aware of what I'd just done and I didn't want her to hate me.

"Isabella I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

She wriggled about underneath me until I finally rolled over onto my back freeing her to move. I grabbed the long since discarded sheets and pulled them back over us. I needed the security of being covered if she was going to be angry with me.

"Edward relax, what do I need to forgive you for?" She snuggled into my side.

"I just fucked you while you were asleep, I'm sure that shit isn't normal." I was struggling to look at her as the shame at what I'd done gathered pace.

"Sweetheart don't worry about that, I can't think of a better way of waking up." I could feel her thighs rooting against me and I realised she was probably feeling frustrated. I'd left her high and dry so I could satiate my own selfish need. Shimmering down the bed I could do something about that.

"So we just have to wait for them to inform us?" Emmett asked, as we all sat in the office at the club.

I called them all after breakfast with my beautiful understanding incredibly sexy wife and told them to meet me at 10AM. Jasper, Carlisle, Emmett, Alice and I had been discussing the possible outcomes of the police investigation on the explosion at the house. The surveillance camera had been broken the day before and a call lodged with the company so it didn't look suspicious that the cameras weren't working. The photos Raul's men had taken had been emailed to us and we were looking over them.

"Wow there really is nothing left of the house." Alice picked up the before and after shots of the property.

"They certainly seem to have done a thorough job", Carlisle remarked as he looked at the crater that was once a beautiful house. I studied his face to see if there was any remorse but if there was he was hiding it well.

"My only concern is the devastation is so over the top it's not going to look like a domestic explosion." Jasper methodically went over each shot. His hands went to his collar, his tell when he was unsure about something. I knew instantly they had missed something.

"There is no gas at the property. What would have caused an explosion of this size?" I asked. Jasper nodded in agreement.

"What the fuck does it matter? Carlos has the local police in his pocket anyway." Emmett got up and started to pace the room. He was taking it badly, I knew he would but I hadn't expected this level of grief from him.

"But if they can't explain it as a domestic explosion they will have to start looking at other causes. Anyone with a half a brain will be able to tell that that this was caused by several small well placed bombs." Jasper was quick to explain.

"We can't be seen to be involved with this at all," Jasper continued. "We will wait a few days and if no one contacts us we need to start asking questions. We can use the excuse she hasn't contacted anyone for a few days and we are worried. It would probably be better if Alice contacted the local police down there and asked them to check on her mother." The room went quiet for a few moments as we all pondered the hypocrisy of the situation. She never contacted any of us unless she needed something.

I reached for my now cold coffee and slammed the mug back down. I thought about the lovely breakfast I'd had in bed with Isabella and wondered if I'd actually manage to get back to her today at a decent hour. I phoned down to the bar to order some fresh coffee just to break up the atmosphere.

I looked at Alice to make sure she was okay and she was fairing much better than Emmett.

"What are the chances of them finding her remains?" Alice asked as she looked at the photos again.

"Not good looking at these, the house must have burned ferociously so her body could quite easily have been cremated on site." I looked at my father, his persona had morphed into Mob boss and I wondered if he missed being in charge.

"Will we need a body to declare her dead?" I asked Jasper trying to get a time line straight in my head on what we needed to do now.

"If Carlos can get the authorities to declare her dead then no we don't need a body. Does he have that kind of sway?" He directed the question at Carlisle and I was interested to see what his answer would be.

"Yes he does. I'll talk to him." He looked at me and grinned before adding," Seeing as you pissed him off the way you spoke to Raul."

I smiled and acknowledged his way of telling me Carlos had called him to complain about me.

"It's not my fault his son fucked up. I admit I told them to make sure the house was flattened but they didn't need to take out 10 metres all round it as well. He also should know we need evidence of a job done and at the moment we can't be 100% sure she was even in the house." I could feel my temper rising as I pushed the silver fountain pen I was holding into my desk. "He fucked up and now we are left wondering." The nib buckled from the pressure and I threw the ruined pen across the room.

"Raul assured me she was on the balcony as they left the property. He had men posted around the property watching in the tree line and no one saw her leave or even move from the balcony. She was in the house Son and we need to proceed as soon as we can with her funeral." Carlisle continued on as though nothing had happened completely ignoring my temper tantrum.

"Is it so bad if she did escape?" Emmett asked from the far corner of the office. I hadn't noticed he'd moved as far from the desk and the photos as he could.

Before I could react Alice was on her feet and moving towards her brother. She knelt in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "Emmett you know why she had to die. We discussed this. She was feeding the Feds information, and she gave them Denali never mind she was sleeping with him as well. She set up the hits, she was also sleeping with Tanya and she hated Rosie and Isabella. How many more reasons do you need?" Her voice never rose above a calm whisper as she tried to placate him.

"But she was our Mom," Emmett wiped a single tear away from his cheek. His huge frame seemed to sag as he fell back into the couch.

"I know she was biologically Emmett, but really was she our Mom? When's the last time she did anything that classed her as a parent? For fucks sake she didn't even turn up to your wedding she just asked Edward to stop it." Her voice rose, years of frustration pouring out, her eyes shining. "When he didn't she gave him shit and blamed him for letting you get married."

Emmett looked at me for confirmation and I nodded. There was no point in lying to him. As I watched him try and process everything we had thrown at him this morning I knew that I had lost the brother I had had by my side for the last few years. I needed to find a way for Emmett to bow out of this life but keep his pride and his reputation.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 **A/N you seem to be divided between whether Esme is dead or not. Well you are not the only ones it seems our characters are as well. xx**


	73. Chapter 73

TNMC

Chapter 70

Not a 100% sure how the realtor world works in America so I had a good guess.

EPOV

I hadn't been in the office long and was already yawning. I didn't have much sleep again last night, being married seem to have bought the wild side out in Isabella, not that I'm complaining. I was trying to look over some figures for the clubs. Profits were up but entrance numbers seemed to be falling slightly and I was trying to decide whether we needed a marketing campaign or if it was time for me to hit the country club and the city. Perhaps I had to remind the men folk of the advantages of this club and press a few palms to get the trendy set through the doors of the bars downtown again. I could always filter cash through the bars but I needed the legitimate receipts and memberships to be in proportion. Who knew trying to tread the line between legal and illegal would be so tiring and boring? I slammed the laptop closed and sat back in the high backed leather chair. As my eyes closed briefly I considered going home to see if I could talk Isabella into a late morning nap.

My daydreams were disturbed by the unmistakeable sound of Emmett coming along the corridor. His heavy footsteps were slower than normal, dragging along the polished floor. For some reason he was muttering to himself as if he was rehearsing what he was going to say. I looked up as he opened the door. Immediately I could see the uneasiness in his face. It took him a minute to actually speak and there was none of his usual banter or volume.

"I know this isn't a good time with everything that is going on," he said, quietly and in a rush, "but I want to take Rosie away on honeymoon. I've made reservations. We're leaving tomorrow." For a big man he suddenly looked uncomfortable and small as he stood, framed by the doorway he usually filled. He didn't know what to do with his hands so he stuffed them into the pockets of his pants, something I don't recall ever seeing Emmett do before.

His whole body screamed discomfort and anxiety. I hated that he was so intimidated by me and he couldn't tell me what was wrong. As soon as he finally made eye contact I knew what this as leading up to. I couldn't help myself. I stood up.

"What the fuck Emmett?" I let the poisonous words hang in the air. "How long are you going to be away?" I tried to stay calm and not scream at him. I really did understand that he needed some time with his wife but this was not the time to be going away.

"We are going for six weeks," my eyes widened, "at least. I know it's going to cause you problems but I just can't be here waiting for them to find her body and have the big public funeral. I can't do it and I won't." With that he turned and started to walk away.

"For fuck's sake, wait a minute!" I left the office to go after him. "Emmett get back here," I trotted a few steps to close the space that he had already put between us, "we have things to discuss, things that need taking care of before you go."

He turned and the sadness in his face almost knocked me over. I walked towards him and gathered him up in my arms. No half shoulder touch or slap on the back. My brother needed comfort so I hugged him tightly. After a minute or so I turned us and led him back to the office. He sat down on the couch and I pouted him a coffee with a slug of scotch in.

"Drink this, pull yourself together and take a deep breath. You are going to talk to me." I flopped into the chair behind my desk. It was 10AM and I was ready to go home and finish my day.

"I just can't get it out of my head, she was alone and we killed her." The tears streamed down his face and for once in my life I had no idea what to do.

"We didn't kill her, Carlos and Raul did." Technically that was the truth, we hadn't killed her. "Don't play word games Edward, you gave the order, he was acting on your orders." Each word was like a bullet, crisp and well aimed. "Yes we killed her." I could tell there was going to be no reasoning with him so I did what I always did when I couldn't get Emmett to see things my way. I texted Alice. She arrived within fifteen minutes and with one look at Emmett she knew what was going on.

"You are my brother and I love you with all my heart but why are you letting her get to you like this? The woman was never a mother to you." She was half his size but somehow she managed to cradle him in her arms and hold him until the new sobs subsided. He didn't respond.

"Any news yet?" She turned to face me.

I shook my head. "The authorities work a lot slower across the border. I haven't yet been informed of the explosion, never mind asked if she was there."

We sat for a few seconds before we both started to speak at the same moment.

"Perhaps I could…"

"Maybe you could…"

"Should I call the local police," said Alice, carefully, "and ask them to check on her because I haven't heard from her? I can play the concerned daughter for one phone call." Alice held Emmett as his sobs started again.

"Oh for fucks sake Emmett," my sympathy was wearing thin, "she was a fucking monster who tried to have me and our father killed. All I did was repay the favour. I'm better at this fucking game than she thought she was. If I even started to tell you of the number of her schemes I've closed down over the years that she thinks I don't know about…"

The startled faces of my siblings stopped me in my tracks as I realised that I had said too much.

"Just go Emmett, go be with Rosie and I will let you know if anything happens." I sat back down and took a huge mouthful of my now cooled coffee.

"What's going to happen with Jarvis?" He wiped the moisture from his eyes and cheeks with a linen handkerchief.

"I need to speak to one or two people to see what has happened since the lunch. As soon as I know things are starting to fall apart I will need you to tip off your guy."

He nodded and stood up. "See you in a couple of months." He kissed the top of her head and walked out. I had the awful feeling that he was walking away for more than just a holiday.

"Edward we have to …" Alice was still looking at the door as she spoke.

"I know, I know."

BPOV

I was quite surprised when Edward walked through the door at 4PM. I was just home from looking at two properties I was thinking of taking on. It amazing how quickly the calibre of property owners had changed now I was Mrs Edward Cullen. Today was my first honest to god mansion. It had more rooms than I could ever imagine anyone needing and enough grounds to build a small estate on it. When I got the call to ask if I would market it I actually asked if they had the right person. I was definitely going to need to upgrade my little hamper and Ikea vase.

We'd eaten dinner at the kitchen table and then he'd picked me up and carried me to bed where we were now lying quietly.

"Not that I'm complaining but what bought you home so early today?" I asked him, snuggling up to him as I got my breath back after a vigorous, practically wordless lovemaking session.

"Stupid really, I just needed to be with you." He plopped an affectionate kiss onto the top of my head as I curled into his side. "Emmett and Rosie are going off on honeymoon tomorrow but I really need him here." I couldn't quite place the tone in his voice. Resentment, anger, frustration or maybe even sorrow. He was restless in bed, usually I lay in his arms pulled close to him but tonight he was a real wriggler.

"Emm and Rosie need some time to get used to be married, it was all very quick and it will do them good to be away. To have time with each other." I lay back on the lovely pale grey Egyptian cotton sheets and turned on my side to face him. He made a sound that I could only describe as being close to a growl.

"What's really the problem?" I drew back, searching his face. "You can't be so heartless that you would begrudge your brother a honeymoon. If you are, you are in for a world of pain because I have to tell you I'm expecting one soon and I don't mean a few nights in a B & B somewhere close by."

"Isabella now you are legally my wife they can never ask you to testify against me. You understand that, don't you?" I watched as his face changed and I knew he had made a decision to tell me something. My stomach clenched as I realised I was probably going to be party to information I would never be able to share with anyone. He had turned to face me and there was a gap the width of a person between us. I wanted to reach out and pull him towards me but I needed him to come to me.

"If for any reason we are separated because of my work and they pick you up all you have to do is call the lawyer and say nothing. I have made sure there are several numbers in your phone, contact any of them and someone from the firm will be with you instantly."

I might have dismissed these concerns previously but after my experience with Jarvis I was alert to the fact that it could happen again.

"I love you Isabella and I will do everything I possibly can to make sure you are kept safe."

I reached out and stroked his face, my fingertips feeling the stubble on his chin as he moved to kiss them.

"I know that Edward or I wouldn't have married you." I leant across and placed a light kiss on his lips before retreating back to my positon facing him. "Now tell me what is really bothering you."

Part of me wished I'd never asked. Another part of me felt slightly sick that I was married to a man who could orchestrate the death of this own mother. Another part wanted to kill her myself for what she had ordered and the final part was just so sad at the responsibility my husband had to shoulder himself.

I looked across at the digital display on the bedside table. The blue figures told me it was 3AM. I was still lying awake trying to process everything Edward had told me earlier. I looked down at his sleeping form as he lay tucked into my side. He looked peaceful, emitting a gentle rhythmic snore as he snuggled closer into me. I stroked his hair gently as my brain whirled at full speed. I could understand Emmett's reaction. Both wanting to get away and not being able to face what was coming. The life they led meant family was everything, be it biological or not, so when one of their own betrayed them it was felt to the core. I wasn't that close to either of my parents but the way Esme had treated them over the years had been incredible.

As the clock finally hit 5AM I knew I had to make a decision. I could be a trophy wife that carried on ignorantly and turned up for all the right events dressed up and dripping in diamonds or I could be a proper wife to him. I could support him and help him. The decision in the end was an easy one. As I looked down at him I knew I was going to be part of his life forever so I might as go all in.

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Thank you for all your good wishes for my mom. She is still in hospital and between visiting, looking after my dad and working I'm struggling to get chapters to Ladyletters so the next chapter will be up in a fortnight. Thanks for your understanding.


	74. Chapter 74

TNMC

Chapter 71

BPOV

"Can you please speak to Rosie and find out if she okay?" Edward asked as we sat at the breakfast table. I was trying to ingest as much caffeine as possible seeing as I'd had no sleep. Edward on the other hand had woken fresh as a daisy.

"I thought they were leaving today on honeymoon?" I asked as I watched in amazement as he cleared his plate of the full breakfast Mrs B had left in the warmer for us.

"They are supposedly but I'm not sure Emmett has actually booked anything yet, I have a feeling he was just trying to gauge my reaction. Call her please and find out what is happening?" He swiped the last of the egg yolk off the plate with his third slice of bread before standing up and swallowing the last of his second cup of coffee.

"Slow down will you before you get indigestion." I scolded him before trying to finish the slice of brown toast I was toying with.

"Call me later" he said as kissed my head and walked out.

I sat listening to the silence in the house. It was strangely quiet usually there were people milling about. It was at times like this I could easily forget there were cameras covering most of this floor.

I was tempted to just collapse back into bed but instead I grabbed my mobile and called Rosie as requested. As the phone rang I wondered if this was my first task as the mob boss's wife. I actually laughed out loud and told myself to get a grip just as Rosie answered her cell.

"Hi Rosie Edward tells me you are off on honeymoon today, I'm dying to know all the details. Where you are going? When and for how long? Do we have time to go shopping?"

In my defence I actually was happy for her. I knew Edward was worried about the timing but Rosie was an innocent bystander in all this. Her nature was too pure and sweet to be able to cope with knowing about most of the issues Emmett dealt with on a day to day basis never mind being part of them.

"Oh Bella my Emmie bear is so sweet, not only is he taking me on a cruise it's the Disney Princess Cruise ship. I get to dress up as a princess and he can be my price charming." her squeal as deafening and I could almost feel the wafting from her eyelashes as she pictured herself as Cinderella.

As she gushed on and on about the ship and the fact she was visiting Disneyland but on the water I couldn't help but picture a young innocent maiden who was about to be eaten by the wolf. I doubted Emmett would be able to keep her blissfully unaware of his position and function within the family. If Emmett didn't tell her the other wives would no doubt fall over themselves to enlighten her. Alice had warned me all about the pecking order of the wives and how one or two had severely had their noses put out of place because both Emmett and Edward had married quickly and unexpectedly.

"So when do you leave?" I tried asking her again. She was still in full flow about the dress she wanted to hire and that there were websites she could buy glass slippers and a tiara from.

"Oh the ship doesn't actually sail till next week but I'm supposed to tell everyone that we are going today. I know he won't mind me telling you the truth because your family. We are staying in New York for a few days before we get on the ship." She took a breath and then launched into an explanation of everything they were going to see in New York. I let her talk for a few minutes as I wrestled with my conscience. This put me in a position between the two brothers. My loyalty had to be with Edward but I would probably get both Emmett and Rosalie in trouble by telling Edward the truth. On the other hand would Edward ever trust me again if he knew I'd kept something from him?

As my mind wandered it struck me that Edward could quite easily have found out all this information just by getting Alex to hack into Emmett's bank records or correspondence and I wondered if this was actually more about testing me than anything else. My anger flared for a second before I calmed and put things into perspective. Edward had confessed to having his mother killed last night, why would he test me? We had been in bed when he told me so there was no proof of the conversation but he wouldn't be that calculating would he?

I needed a distraction so I went upstairs and after showering and getting dressed I got comfy in the huge couch we had in our bedroom. I didn't have any appointments today so there was no need to go outside at all. I grabbed my book and settled down. After reading the same page four times I knew I needed to just speak to Edward and get the conversation over with. I dialled the number of his cell and waited fully expecting the answer phone to cut in.

"Well this is a nice surprise. I didn't expect to hear from you until later." His voice was relaxed and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I spoke to Rosie and she gushed all about her lovely honeymoon. I'm very jealous she is getting such a trip but at the same time slightly cross with you that I'm in a situation now where I have to give you news that's going to get my brother in law in trouble."

His full blown chuckle startled me. It was the last thing I expected. "Welcome to my world." I could hear the humour in his voice as he explained "I spend most of my days trying to keep everyone from the Heads of the other families to the government happy, believe me I should be a fucking diplomat." He roared with laughter at his own joke and I loved the sound. I didn't hear it often enough.

"Well just so you know, they are hiding out at home tomorrow then hey fly to New York for a few days before boarding a cruise ship there. Rosie has no idea how long they are going for and Emmett has just told her to pack for a week in New York and they will go shopping there to buy everything she needs for the cruise." Edward had gone quiet as I explained their plans and I could hear keys tapping as if he was typing on a keyboard.

"That explains the reservation at the Baccarat." I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or someone else. "That is just the sort of place my Mother would book into and I was worried for a second he had made reservations for her to hide out but I can see the booking is just for a Classic Suite and there is a request for a limo to take them to the port." I heard him slam something closed and let out a sigh. His chair creaked as I imagined him lean back away from his desk.

"So you already knew all this but you wanted me to check it out. I'm not sure if I feel used or not?" I pouted.

"Oh sweetheart believe me I needed to hear this from you for a couple of reasons but as ever I underestimated you and I will make it up to you tonight I promise." His tone had brightened and I couldn't help but tease him.

"Well Mr Cullen perhaps I will use and abuse you tonight, we will see how you like it." With that I hung up and settled back in the couch to finally emerge myself back into the 18th century and the civil war that was blazing at the time.

EPOV

I know I'm sat here with a grin like the cat that ate the budgie but I can't help myself. She came through just like I knew she would. I took a huge chance last night spilling my guts about my mother and her demise. Alice was adamant Isabella could handle it and that I needed to open up to her and between my confession last night and my request this morning for information on Emmett and his wife I was happy she could cope with anything that was thrown at her. I loved her with all my heart but it makes it so much easier if I don't have to hide my business life away from her.

"Edward what are we going to do about Emmett?" Alice asked from what was fast becoming her second business address. My office at the club was slowly being taken over by my sister . She had moved a new desk in as well as an elaborate desktop pc that Alex had constructed for her. When I enquired about what was happening she informed me it was only until her new office was ready. It wasn't until Seth went past in decorators overall that I realised her new office was going to be across the hall from me in what used to be two large storage rooms.

"I'm not sure sis, you know the rules he can't walk away from this life. "

"I know he can't but how easy would he be to replace?" I was trying to gauge where the conversation was going but I wasn't actually sure I wanted to know.

"Well he is quite the specialist in what he does, it would take time to find another with his skills and stomach but I'm sur I could find someone why ?" she had me intrigued now I wanted to know what she was thinking.

"Well if that's all you would have to replace we could look for someone to take over while he was on his extended honeymoon and treat it like an internship. They could learn on the job."

Before I could fathom out how to answer my sister and her strange idea the office line rang. This was still a secure line but it was attached to the telephone system so I could record the calls if I needed to. The number flashing up was the Governor's office.

"Edward it's Peter Florrick" unusual he usually contacted me via a third party.

"Mr Governor, how nice to hear from you, what can I do for you?"

"Cut the shit Cullen I need you to be honest with me. Do you know where Denali is?" He was rattled but trying to appear calm. The guy was a crooked as they come so this had to be important.

"Governor I've tried every contact I have, both my side and yours I can't find my godfather anywhere. I was hoping you would have news for me. Surely you can find out where Witness Protection put him?" I leaned back and glanced at Alice as she stopped typing and walked round to sit on the edge of my desk.

"That's the problem I have everyone is denying any knowledge. So it looks like the team that actually did pick him up originally have either lost him or have him and won't admit to it."

This was perfect for me I could point the finger at Jarvis and sit back and watch the show as everything starts to play out.

"Well there is another explanation Peter, perhaps he knows more than any of us realised and he is squirreled away in some nice hotel somewhere spilling his guts. That wouldn't be good for any of us would it?" I let the question hang as I knew he had far more to lose than me.

"Fuck"

I laughed as the line went dead and I imagined the chaos as he started to turn the city upside down trying to find Denali.

"Are you going to order it today?" Alice asked as she returned to sit at her new desk.

"Before I answer that Sis are you sure you want to know the answer because once you know that's it. Remember you don't have the luxury of being married to me as a defence. They can't question you about Jasper but they can about me."

I dodged the coffee mug as it flew at me crashing into the wall behind me .

"Edward I want to be part of the family business, the salon runs itself and I can be more use here helping you and Jasper. Who can you trust more than us ?"

I called Alex and Seth into the office and gave them the order to contact the guy we had waiting for instructions. The next time Jarvis or Voltari or whatever the fuck his real name was walked into that coffee shop he would be dead within hours.


	75. Chapter 75

TNMC

Chapter 72

EPOV

The call had finally come from the Mexican authorities about three weeks after the explosion. The local police chief contacted Alice a few days after she had rung them, apparently worried that she hadn't heard from Esme for some time. I knew he would have spoken to Carlos before he contacted us but he clung to the illusion that he wasn't a dirty cop, just as Alice kept up the pretence that she hadn't a clue what was going on.

The police chief informed Alice that there had been an unexplained fire that had caused the property to burn down. The fire had been so ferocious that nothing was left of the structure and it was impossible to say if anyone had been in the property.

We talked about what that could mean as a family. We couldn't register her death, couldn't have a funeral and couldn't explain to the country club set what had happened to her. In the guise of a loving and desperate family we hired a team of forensic scientists to go down and comb through the ashes to see if they could find any human remains at all. I'm still waiting on their report.

Emmett is still on honeymoon. He has been gone now three weeks and does not have a return date in mind. The cruise ship docks sometime next week but he has already reserved passage on the next cruise, a much longer one. It goes around the world and takes about three months. I don't think he's coming back and I'm not sure how I feel about that. As a matter of form I've had Alex and Seth go through his and Rosie's communication as well as their apartment. They have interviewed every member of his crew and no one has a bad word to say about him. Despite his sudden lack of appetite for this life it seems that he has been as loyal as always. I'm thinking of buying him a bar somewhere obscure and off the beaten track so he can live quietly with Rosie that will also serve as a bolt hole if we need to help someone disappear for a while. I haven't told him yet what I have in mind but I will if he ever comes off fucking honeymoon.

Alice has been a god send, it's like having and extra pair of hands. I don't have to explain to her why I'm doing something. She just understands. I am able to share the burden with her in ways I've never felt comfortable with her husband. In time I have no doubt she will become my consigliere and Jasper will step back as I need him to oversee the legal side of the businesses. He will become the public face of some of the companies so I can distance them from the Cullen name. I've been so tied to the traditional family ways that I couldn't see that the best person to be at my side was a pint sized female. It was strange thinking that the future of the business lay in the women. There was no chance that Isabella was going to be the typical stay at home wife and she was already starting to get involved in the legitimate property businesses that formed part of our empire.

The phone rang, the high pitched tone shocking me out of my reverie.

"Seth," I acknowledged him.

"It's done." I let out a breath and smirked a as I digested the words. Seth could be a joker but when it came to the serious side of the business he was direct and to the point. I'd given the order to Alex as soon as I'd spoken to Florrick. There was enough confusion around at present that it wouldn't look suspicious if Jarvis was found dead.

I pressed the end button on my cell and reached down to close my laptop. It was time to go home to Isabella but it looked like I had an errand to attend to on the way. As I stood and stepped from behind my desk Alice walked into the office.

"Off anywhere nice?" She dropped a pile of invoices and statements on her desk.

"I do pay a book keeper to do that you know?" I pointed to the pile she was now scanning through.

"Yes, but the book-keeper didn't notice that the liquor supplier was ripping us off so I like to keep an eye on things."."

The ride over to Jarvis's house was slow, the roads snarled with traffic. I was trying to gauge how long he had been home and whether he'd drunk the coffee yet. The last thing I wanted was to get there and find him already dead or even more infuriating that he'd put the drink down and forgotten to drink it. When we eventually arrived we pulled up around the corner. The information came back that Jarvis had arrived home twenty minutes ago after his usual stop for coffee. If he had started to drink it as soon as he got home he should be feeling the effects by now. I told them to wait five more minutes and then go in and make sure there weren't any complications. It was the longest five minutes as I waited for the call to say it was clear to go in.

"Alex has disabled the CCTV and erased the records for today," said Seth. "He has managed to insert a feed from a couple of days ago. Jarvis is such a creature of habit that it was quite simple to manipulate it." He passed me a baseball cap, glasses and a short leather jacket.

"Just in case we don't manage to erase your arrival from all the neighbour cameras," he explained. As I slipped the jacket on the power in the street went off.

"The lazy bastard," he sniggered, "couldn't be bothered to erase all the tapes so he's taken the grid down instead." I really didn't want to know so I pulled on the baseball cap and glasses. Seth and I walked up the drive past Jarvis's car and into the small two storey house.

The house was neat and clean, to say he lived alone he obviously looked after the place. I couldn't help but notice the commendations and certificates proudly displayed on the wall. He probably was a good agent but he really shouldn't have decided to go up against me. The room smelled of coffee and cologne and pizza. It was an odd combination but understandable for a bachelor pad. Games consoles and dvd's lined the sides and it lacked the touches that Isabella had brought to our home.

I made sure my gloves were on before walking into the bathroom. Jarvis was naked and lying in the tub, the guys had found him slumped on his couch, the take away coffee cup empty on the table in front of him. They had undressed him, throwing his clothes on his bed in the way a man bathing after work may do, before placing him in the tub. The warm water was slowly filling round him and he appeared to be semi-conscious. His flaccid penis was shrivelled and floating in the water, nestled in wiry grey hair under the overhang of skin that made up his belly. That made me sad for a moment. We all came into the wold naked and he was going to leave it that way too. I cast an eye over his body, he was in pretty poor shape. That made things easier for us. Had he been some super fit my body is a temple sort, the drugs that we had planted would have been harder to explain.

The guys moved aside so I could sit on the edge of the bath. I removed the glasses and the cap and I could tell from the startled look in his eyes he recognised me. I'd thought about this moment so many times, what I would have Emmett do to him, what I would say but when it came down to it I didn't need to say anything. The drugs had kicked in and taken over his system and he was totally immobile. As the water rose I put my hand on his head and pushed him down into the water. I expected him to fight or scream but it was just as Emmett had explained. The quantity of drugs in his system made him pliable and as though he was paralysed. He couldn't move or talk and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. It was easy for me to hold him under the water and watch the life drain out of him. It only took a minute at the most. Seth looked for a pulse on his neck and on his wrist. When he didn't find one, he turned the water flow off. I stood up and left the room. I made sure that there was no emotion on my face, no relief, nothing. Just a problem dealt with and a tiny smattering of revenge on my part.

No one touches my wife.

BPOV

I dipped a wooden spoon into the beef ragout bubbling on the stove. I blew on it impatiently to cool it then took a taste. Almost perfect. I picked up a wooden pepper mill from the gleaming marble worktop and ground in some more pepper. The sound of the external door alerted me to the fact that I wouldn't be alone for long.

"Edward, is that you?" There was no answer but the door slammed shut. I put the lid of the pan back on and turned the heat down low. "Edward?"

I padded into the hall in my bare feet. His face was ashen. I touched it reflexively and it was deathly cold. I took his hands between mine and felt a minor tremor. This was serious. I led him up to our bedroom, and sat him on the sumptuous sofa in the corner of the room. I'd dismissed Mrs B and the security detail, not unusual for this time of night when Edward was home and the alarm was one, then scurried back upstairs.

"Edward?" He barely lifted his head to look at me. I sat down beside him, putting my arm around him. "What 's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, but his voice was cold and dead and his eyes dull.

"It's not nothing," I said gently, "I've never seen you like this."

"It's fine," he tried to dismiss me.

"I'm your wife, Edward," I told him. The sharpness of my tone shocked him and he turned his head to really look at me for the first time. "If you've got some stupid nonsense into your head about protecting me then you can give it up right now. I knew what I was getting into when I married you and if you start shutting me out now then this marriage isn't going to last very long."

"Oh Isabella," his body sagged. I took him in my arms and his head sunk to my chest. I stroked his hair, holding him close to my heard. "Jarvis…"

"Gone..?" His head nodded the affirmative against my chest.

"He looked at me," he whispered in a hoarse voice, "he pleaded for his life with his eyes while I drowned him."

I stiffened for a moment. Edward had never spoken to me so openly about the dirtier side of his business. I had to stay strong and not let myself by shocked by hearing the facts first hand.

"You had to," I replied, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"What about my mother? Did I have to do that?" He looked up at me.

"You did," I replied, firmly. "There are things that we both know you have to do. If you didn't feel any remorse at all you wouldn't be human." A single tear slid down his face. My heart tightened in my chest. This is Edward. Edward the human. Edward the man that I married that would do anything for me. The man who has to make difficult decisions every single day and live with the consequences. For the first time it felt as if every secret between us had evaporated. I felt his vulnerability for the first time, the soft underbelly that was hidden under layers of protocol and bluster and anger. I pulled him closer, telling him without words that I accepted everything that he was and that I would be there for him, now and forever.

EPOV

Things were definitely looking up. Despite hearing some really awful things last nice Isabella had taken everything in her stride. She poured a bath and stayed with me in it while I processed everything. Later, she seemed to sense that I needed her and we made slow, intense love late into the night.

On a more practical level Alice had already saved me thousands of dollars with her inspection of the liquor supplier. The discussion she had with the owner proved fruitful and our family now owned a spirits distribution company. I immediately brought Carl into oversee it. He had been in living with his family in a small property we owned while he started to get his life back together after we blew his bar up. He had taken over running the business for me and I knew I would never need to question his loyalty.

Isabella was relieved that Jarvis was no longer on the scene. According to all the reports his neighbours got concerned that he hadn't been seen since the power cut and called the police. They found him drowned in the bath and as they tried to remove him a panel had been dislodged revealing the package of drugs. It was reported that the amount was a kilo but it wasn't. That the news agency exaggerating. It was nearer half a kilo and when they test it they will find its cut down so badly that it will look like he either got ripped off himself or that he was going to deal it out and be a bad supplier. Seth had left a few small packets on his bed side table just to make sure they did a sweep of the property.

Isabella knew everything. She knew the good bits, the bad bits and the bits that could get one or both of us sent to jail. I knew that I would never keep a secret from her and in return she provided a level of acceptance and support that I didn't know was possible. Emmett and Rosie were taking occupation of their little bar soon and Alice was already acting as my consigliere. With no word from Esme and a destroyed house we are pressuring the Mexican authorities to declare her dead. I suspected that Carlisle would marry Liz as soon as the death certificate came through. My family, which had seemed close to falling apart in recent times, were settling back into new spaces.

My phone buzzed. "Are you coming home soon? X." I texted a quick affirmative and turned out the desk lamp, casting my office into darkness. Marriage, an institution which had been a prison for my father, had turned out to be my personal route to freedom. Isabella is the lamp in my darkness, the anchor for my ship and she will be my walking frame as I age. I will never get tired of going home to her warm body, intelligent conversation and the waft of home cooking as she takes care of me in a way that I have not previously felt that I deserve. Somehow, despite the shady nature of my business and the things that I have done, she makes me a better person.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That my friends is where I am going to call it complete.

Thank you so much to each and everyone one of you who has reviewed and read this story. I've loved writing every word.

Special thanks has to go to Ladyletters who agreed to help me with this when she thought it was going to be a short story and has had to devoted the last year of her life to sorting out the rambling chapters I have sent to her. She has been amazing in making this an absolute pleasure to post for you.


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